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QUEBEC
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t L.-N. Cabd. BioiN,
Archbishop cf Qudw. FOREWORD
Books — there is no end to the making of hooks especidUy in this Twentieth Century, but of the many thousand that greet the public eye, in the course of a year, how brief is the existence of the great majority; how short lived their populari-
ty. In the case of bad hooks, there is nothing to regret in this.
Would that the impressions these have left behind them were as transient. But there is always need for a good hook,for a good hook is a friend, that raises our thoughts to higher things, that inspires us to nobler deeds; that encourages vs in hours of depression, and comforts us in those of sorrow; thai helps us to remember what we too often forget; that reading is not merely undertaken us a pastime — to while away a tedious hour, but it is one of the innumerable talents of which we shall have to give an account to God.
Books have a wide spreading influence ; they are given admission where the writer would be refused, and they cften go into homes, impossible cf access to either Priest or Reli- gious. So the work of publishing good books to conteract the influence of those that are bad or to say the least, indifferent is a real apostolic work, and one that draws down upon it the divine blessing. Need we apologize then for presenting in English dress another little work, the story of a young girl, who in the early days of Christianity is said to have miffer- edfor her faith even to hermsm. Alhan Butler, mentions no St. Valeria, hut what maUers the name which in this chronicle is typical of the countiesa Virgins, who as Confessors and Martyrs, rqoiced to follow the Lamb, whihersoever He goeth, — here on earth, — vin FOREWORD
O^^mh much tnlyulMim -that in Hi^vm (hey rmy share with Htm an eternity c^jay. May this litOe hook then do aU the good its avihor desires ! Parve, nee irwideo aine me liber Una in urbia, Hei mihil quo Domino non licet ire tuo, (Ovid)
"Oo litOe hook to where your author cannot go, Into the cities; I do not grudge your fate, but the pity Thai here I must remain to " mourn out side your gate. Vadbria OR ^HB TF^IUMPH IN THE ©ATA0OMBj^
CHAPTER I
A SIGN IH THE HEAVENS
^HE Autumn of the year 312 was to give to the Church ''w^ the peace and rest so necessary after the bloody persecution which had lasted three centuries. Two Emperors then reigned over the western por- tion of the Roman empire. The cruel Maxentius, who had risen from the lowest ranks of society, and who had not hesitated to dip his hands in the blood of his own father, Maximinus, in order to invest himself with the imperial purple, ruled over Italy, the northern part; of Africa and the whole of Egj-pt.
Constantine, son of Constantius Chlorus, whose elec- tion had been received with acclamations by the army and the people, governed Gaul, Spain and Britain. As his father had done before him, this prince daily increased his influence over the hearts of his people, while Maxentius retained his crown by crime and cruelty. It was not to be wondered at then that his Italian sub- jects, wearied of his exactions and wickedness, turned " VALERIA
their eyes towards Gaul, towards a prince who, to the prestige of royal birth added the qualities which en- noble the supreme power. Constantine was not ignorant of the wishes of the Roman people, but he knew too that Maxentius hated hmi with an implacable hatred, and that the tyrant trusting m his wealth and the strength of his army was desu-ous of provoking a war in which he hoped-to crush his dangerous rival. More than once the valiant Caesar of the Gauls had to restrain the impatience of his captains who could not understand why their chief did not answer the in- sulting provocations of Maxentius and the entreaties ot the Roman nobles and senators by resorting to aims Constantine did not allow himself to be dazzled by ambition or carried away by a generosity that might prove rash he knew his ; troops, he knew that though sufficiently strong to carry on a war in his own terri- tories, they were not adequately equipped to undertake an expedition into Italy and follow the enemy into the heart of his fortified stro..gholds. Not only did he avoid every subject of quarrel with his powerful colleague, but he treated him with pru- dent courteousness, and though his overtures received no replies, he never failed to write and congratulate Maxentius on the anniversary of his coronation. Cu-cumstances however were to oblige the lion to quit his lair. Constantine was in his thirty eighth year, he had spent the summer of the year 312 in the neighbourhood of Lyons, and still held his camp there at the end of September. The Emperor had just J •i assisting at some miUtary A SIGN IN THE HEAVENS
exercises and was about to retire to his tent, when a man, covered with dust and with his clothes torn, threw himself at his teet. Constantino quickly recognised him. It was Anicius PauUnus, one of ihe first Senators of Rome, who had already been senc to him as legate. He kindly raised him up and then ^ked : " What is it that brings thee here from Rome and " in this state ? A prey to the most violent emotions, the Senator
answered bitterly : "Know, O great Emperor! that Maxentius, after having carried off my wife, accuses me of the crime of high treason. Helped by a few faithful friends and with the assistance of the immortal gods, I have escaped from prison. But my wife, my children... what has become of them ?. . . Avenge me, noble Prince, avenge Rome that has been trampled on by the tyrant and his partisans, avenge thyself ! " If thou remainest deaf to the call of the Senate, insensible to the tears of our wives and of our children, indifferent to the sorrows of a nation, wilt thou forget that among the victims of the monster who oppresses us, there are the descendants of the divine Claudius thy glorious ancestor ? Dost thou not know that the re- rentless enmity Maxentius bears thee makes him break down thy statues and tear out the eyes of the pictures " which represent thee ? The Chiefs of Constantino's army listened at first )- dlence to the burning words of the Senator, but when heard of the insults offered to their Emperor, their ey^s flashed and with one accord their hands sought the hilts of their swords ; the younger captains throwing "
* VALERIA
themselves at his feet implored him to avenge these in- dignities without further delay. Though motionless and silent, the son of Constan- tius Chlorus was not unmoved ; his thoughtful brow was dark and his eyes shone with suppressed anger. No, such affronts could not be allowed to pass unpun- ished, but, true to his wonted prudence, Constautine did not say a word. At length he asked his captains to withdraw and to leave him to think calmly and quietly over the resolutions he ought to take. He was obeyed. But while the Emperor, alone in his tent, strode an- grily up and down, the news brought by Anicius Pau- linus spread through the camp with the rapidity of lightning, and but one tumultuous cry arose from the hearts of his warriors : " Up ! let us march on Rome ! Down with the wretch ! Constantine was meanwhile fighting a terrible battle with himself his ; pride demanded sanguinaiy repara- tion for the insults offered by Maxentius, but he hes- itated in face of the actual difficulties attendant on such an undertaking. Irresolute as to th( decision he ought to take, Con- stantine ordered the high priest to consult the gods while Gordien ; examined the smoking entrails of the victims, the Emperor called together the chief officers of his staff, his most trusted advisers, and the Senator Paulinus, and held a council of war. These were all brave soldiers who had fought in the East agair-^ the Persians, on the Rhine against the Germans, or had been either in the campaign in Egypt or in Bithynia. The youngest were Constantine's com- panions in arms. Among them aU, the Centurion, Can- A SIGN I . THE HEAVENS
(lidus, was conspicuous by his stature and for his bravery, which h'td won for him the title of Amicus prindpis, durmg the battle in which his good sword had saved Constantino's life. Son of a martyr and brother to those who had also shed their blood for Christ, Candidus was himself a Christian, born of a saintly mother ; his sol- diers loved him; many of them were Christians, and the number of the followers of the Crucified was daily increasing in the Gallican army. Constantino held him in great esteem and appreciated his uncommon virtue ; like the children of Israel in the fiery furnace, Candi- dus passed unscathed through the dangers of camp life and inspired respect in all with whom he came in contact. The German kings and chiefs who served in the army as auxiliary troops also had a voice in the Concilium Prindpis. The oldest as well as the bravest of these foreign princes was Eroc, King of the Alaman. In spite of his seventy years he bore himself bravely and was proud of the glorious scar which seamed his forehead. His long white beard fell down to his belt. He exercised a peculiar influence over Constantino, which was due to his loyal service and to the part he had taken in the emperor's election. The council being assembled the Emperor began to speak. He spoke slowly as if he were thinking while speaking : " You know the outrageous affronts that I have re- 3eived from Maxentius. By Jupiter ! I declare that your solicitations and the cries of the soldiers were not needed to excite me to vengeance. But the inmiortal gods do not always immediately punish crime; it was " expedient that your Emperor should act prudently. The officers hail listened to the Emperor in silence. "
6 VALEBIA
Eroc was the first to rise, and with a slight irony which the noble old man alone could allow himself to use, he addressed Conscantine :
"Oh ! wisp and powerful Emperor ! I thought that thi.a had.st summoned us only to give us the order tr march at break of day I ; thought that thou didst wish to be before the gates of the proud capital in less than a nionth. By Woden ! this campaign must last but a few short weeks thou , must advance unhesitatingly and mipetuously against the enemy, striking repeated blows, which will be so many victories ; Maxentius must still be asleep when he shall be aroused by the avenging shock of our swords at the gates of his palace ! The vociferous applause which greeted this speech proved to the emperor that Eroc had expressed the feelings of the whole council, and Constantine seeing that all his chiefs were unanimous in their desire lor revenge, was about to repeat the celebrated words of Ciesar : Alea jacta est\..." when the curtain before th.^ door of the tent was raised and Gordien, crowned wxth flowers and carrying the rod of di^^nation, entered and advanced towards the Emperor : " According to " thy commands, immortal Lord, he said, " we have consumed the entrails of the victims m order to know the will of our all powerful gods Mayst thou in all things obtain what is best and most salutary, but know, O glorious Master ! that the omens are not those which thy valiant soul desires • our divinities do not favour this undertaking " A thunderbolt falling in the midst of this warlike assembly could not have provoked greater stupefaction. Ihe impression made on Constantine was particularly deep and_^keen. " A SIGN IN THE HKAVBN8
A silence full of anguish fell over all, and each one asked himself anxiously : " Who " would dare to brave the will of the gods ? Anicius Paulinus alone, exasi^erated by his sorrow and anguish, made a protest. " No, no, the gods cannot will that such a monster should oppress Home any longer ! I'he omens have been badly interpreted, or our divinities wish to obtain wor- shippers elsewhere. " " May .he gods forgive the criminal blasphemy, which
only thy ' sorrow excuses, said Gordien wrathfully. " What ! thou wouldst measure with thv feeble mind the designs of the eternal Olj-mpus. All the omens have l)een rightly interpieted, and the day will come when the livine C'onstantine will understand that the gods will that he should abandon this undertaking only that they may lead their favourite by a safer path to supre- me honours. " If Pauliius' words were at first received with signs of approval, the authoritative and solemn voice of Gor- dien cooled the general enthusiasm ; the difil^ulties and dangers of such an expedition presented themselves and opinions were aivided ; one captain advised that they should wait the arrival of the troops who were charged with the defence of tlie Rhine, another insisted on the nece&iiijy of an alliance with the eastern princes, a third tliought the war perilous and imprudent, and said that though vengeance was legitimate it was better to defer it till later. Candidus had said nothing, but tumultuous feelings agitated his soul ; he, better than any other, knew the just value of Goriien's explanations, and he was com- pelled to speak. 8 VALERIA
" Powerful nohre " " and master, he cricKl, pardon the youHKest of thy warriors if he Hhould speak too l)oldly. If thou shouldst march against Home only to avenge a jwrsonal affront, the hlootl that thou whalt shed will not he pie. ijg to God ; but if the object of thy expedition l)e tu deliver the capital from the tyranny of an impious master, if thou dost purpose avenging
innocence and virtue > which have l)e- outraged by cri- me, re-establishing peace which has t)een disturbed by violence and oppression, replacing slavery by liberty, then the Lord will bless thy arms and, with the glory of victory, grant thee the greater glory of being called the Father of thy country. " What were Gordien's feelings at this moment? The look of hatred and menace which he gave Candidus showed them all too plainly. He knew him to be a Christian, he knew that the Disciples of ChrL^t treated tho pagan oracles with con- tempt, and a fierce desire for revenge took possession of hun. At the words of the young chief, Eroc raised his head, and unable to restrain his feelings any longer exclaimed: By Woden ! Youth possesses wisdom ! Listen, Emperor, dost thou not hear the increasing tumult of thy soldiers ? Their cries are the voice of the gods !
Ah ! If thou wilt permit me I shall send to consult one of our most powerful priestesses who approaches the divmity very closely at ; thy command she will inter- rogate the heavens anew." Tne tribune, Artemesius, whose sound judgment carried great wieght with the Emperor, also supported the opin- nion of the young centurion, but tlie majority of the assembly hesitated and had not the courage to begin A UON IN TBB UBATBNB
« war under such unfavourable auspicM : the oo' icil became more and more undecided. Conetantine, kno^ ag that he could hope for victory only if hia soldiers \* ve united and convinced of success, was about to subioit to the^Sn of the gods ; but at this moment a soldier, trembling with indescribable emotion, rushed into t: e tent. "Come," he cried, "come, Prince, hasten and see the sign which " has appeared in the heavens ! Everyone left the tent precipitately. Stupefied wit- nesses of the wonder, some prostrated ther m, some threw themselves at the feet of the Empero already shouted their cries of victory; others t stnick wii.. respectful fear, looked tremblingly at leavw^ly sign which appeared above the setting sun It was a luminous cross interlaced with inscri|>- tion in Greek letters, which might be thu^ ranskted : "By this sign thou shalt conquer." A^ aight of it Candidus also fell on his knees, and with eyea filleu mtk
tears he cried : "Hail ! O heavenly symbol of my Sav .our, our o«ly
hope ! Since thou dost, thyself enlighten «», wht> .mn be " against us ? Then, rising triumphantly, he 8ai> to C^mmmmm who was silent but who looked with increasing »« rpnse
at the sign :
"Emperor, it is true that by this sign thou tarn i- quer it is ; not a human tongue but heavea itself >*i n announces it ! Know that at this sign the demon; trem- ble even in the depths of the abyss, and when thy ene- mies shall see it they shall be confounded." The Emperor continued to look at the heavenly ap- parition, but could not unravel its meaning. 10 Vauibia
'•I see clearly the Greek letters X. and P. interUced," said he, but I do not understand the significaUon of the monogram." Candidus was about to give the Emperor the only true explanation, but Qordien, whom vhe wonder had disconcerted and who wished to regain the influence which he felt he was Icsing, forestalled him and said in a loud and solemn voice : " Dmne Sovereign I according to the rules of augury, the higher oracles, tho-re that come from heaven, are superior to the lower, those of the sacrifices. Thou art truly the favourite of the gods ; by this brilliant appa- ntion they destroy the prognostics which were unfavour- able to thee and confound thy enemies. Behold! Prince the meaning ' of this prodigy : "The great Mithras who is the invincible guide of thy army will protect thee. The entwined letters are the coisonants of the Greek word xarpe which signifies : Hail to thee ! This word clearly indicates that if thou dost take the God of the sun as thy guide a splendid victory awaits thee." Gordien then triumphantly cast a glance of hatred and pride at the Centurion, but Candidus was not at uU disturbed. The commanders of the army completely satisfieu with the explanation given by the anispex, cried out with one accord : Omen accipimm ! We accept the favourable omens J; ; Mithras, under whose protection we shall march to battle will give us the victory." On learning Gormen's explanation the soldiers became delirious with joy, and the air resounded with their cries ; We accept to " ! Rome ! to Rome ! A SIGN IN TH1« HBAVBNB 11
Coiwtantine alone remained undecided ; the expla- nations of the high priest had not convinced him, and hw anxious eyes remained fixed on the mysterious char- acters which were so clearly defined above the sun, and the encouraging words : " By this sign thou shalt conquer." The old chief Eroc, still less lenmed in Greek than in Latin, had only partially understood Gordien's expU- nations he too ; looked at the sign questioningly, and sighed because of the absence of his wise priestesses. Candidus easily read the thoughts which troubled the Emperor. He came and stood respectfully before him and drew from his breast a sort of medal on which were engraven the same letters, X. and P. whose inter- pretation so perplexed the sovereign.* Showing it to Constantine he said : "Prince, these two initials are not unknown to us Christians. They are the two Prst letters of the word Chriatus. We engrave them on the tombs of our dead to show that they have conquered death by faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God, and that through Him they enjoy eternal rest. " In our holy Scriptures, the Christ is called the Sun of Justice ; when on Thabor He deigned to appear trans-
1. The bishop gave each perron who was baptiied a tewra, which consisted either of a small fish in silver, glass, or mother of pearl, etc., bearing this inscription " " in Greek letters : Save me ! or else a sort of medal, of different metals, with the letters P. X. engraven on it and a small hole by which it was hung round the neck. He might also give a ring, a piece of money or a medallion ; but all these objects bore the sign of our redemption. The UMera was both a recommendation and a means of recognition among the Christians. 12 YALBBIA
figured before " His apostles, His face did shine as the sun " His throne, ; according to the word of our holy canticles, " " is as the sun before the face of God. "Besides," added Candidus ironically, "what sense can the word xarpe (welcome) have ? The parrots at the doors cry it out to all those who cross the threshold. What connection can it have with the heavenly inscrip- " tion which promises us victory ? The young Centurion's Christian explanation was not favourably received by the Chiefs, they shook their heads and waited for their master's reply. " This " monogram then is the symbol of thy God ? he asked, his brow still clouded and his eyes shining with a strange light. Then without waiting for an answer he retired a little distance and buried himself in deep thought which no one dared to disturb. His gaze was again fixed on the brilliant sign ; Gordien's explanation did not satisfy him, that of Candidus was most repugnant. Could there not be a third and a true one ? But the longer he looked at the luminous cross the more loudly did an interior " voice seem to say : Believe in the words of thy Centurion, have confidence." " Candidus," he at last asked of the ^^ young man, " how will this sign lead us to victory ? Till now the eagles have been the only ensign of our legions." " Prince ! make a standard on which the monogram of the Christ shall be emblazoned ; place it at the head of thy troops and, as the bright inscription promises, by this sign we shall conquer. "My Lord," continued the young Christian bending his knee before the Emperor, "if I have found grace in thy eyes, deign to accord me one signal favour. En- !
A BION IN THB HEAVaNB 13
trust me with this sacred standard. I will bear it into the thickest of the fight, and I swear that, before the symbol of the Christ, the eagles of Maxentius will fly like so many timid hens on which the vulture darts down."
The eyes of the brave young warrior shone with holy enthusiasm his ; words, inspired by profound convic- tion, moved the Emperor. But Constantine was still far from being a Christian, he had to reckon with his legions who were most devoted to the gods, particularly Mithras. Would they consent to march under the stan- dard of the God of the Christians? Eroc once more turned the balance in favour of Candidus and his pro- posak "Whatever the true meaning of these emblems^'may be, "he said, "the Centurion's counsel appears excel- lent to me. We are all certain that the sign comes from heaven and promises us the victory. Let us follow it and then each one may interpret it as he pleases." Constantine's policy was always to leave his sub- jects entire religious freedom ; Eroc's idea fell in with his own inclinations, and he understood too that the remembrance of the heavenly marvel would excite the courage of his soldiers, and finally taking a decided re- solution, he returned towards the imperial tent to an- nounce his decision to the army. At sight of him silence was immediately restored ; closely crowded against one another, the warriors pre- pared to listen to their Sovereign. The setting sun bright- ened the stirring scene with a purple hght, and in the heavens the victorious sign shone with a purer and more serene lustre. Constantine himself seemed transformed ; his move- 14 VALERIA
ments full were of grace and majesty, his glance intrepid and confident, and his glowing countenance made him appear a demi-god in the eyes of his superstitious men. Words of peace or of war, of rest or of triumph were about to fall from his lips. He spoke, and, in the pro- found silence of the camp, his voice rang out and was heard by the furthest ranks of soldiers. In a few words he recalled the insults Maxentius had heaped on him, and the desolation of the Roman city. " I hesitated " however," said he, to expose the lives of my brave warriors, but heaven has spoken, and pro- mises us the victory ; I obey that voice and cry : For-
ward, to Italy !
"A new Jtandard bearing the celestial sign will re- place the imperial eagles at the head of our army. Before he month closes we shall be at the gates of Rome. To- xnorrow " morning the camp will be raised ! As the roar of the ocean which is tossed by the tempest, an immense clamour rose from the mighty army, the clanking of arms filled the camp, and the mountains re-echoed the joyous cries of the soldiers. Constantine was not the least happy ; his doubts had vanished, and he was now perfectly confident of success with the last ; light of the setting sun the heaven- ly sign grew paler, but it left a feeling of security and meflfable peace in the heart of the Emperor. Without loss of time the most skilful gr-ldsmiths were brought from Lyons and ordered to make the new standard. The staff, which was very long, was to be covered with gold, and bear at the top the monogram of the Christ in soUd gold, enriched with pearls and surrounded by a x.iOwn of oak leaves. A transverse bar forming the cross was to hold up A SIGN IN THE HEAVENS 15
the banner, as wide as it was long, which was to be richly embroidered in gold and pearls and represent the ce- lestial vision. Quite at the bottom the bust of the Em- peror, the head crowned with rays, was to be placed. This new banner, called the labarum, was to become the standard of Constantine's troops. Acceding to the request of the centurion, Constantino entrusted him with the charge of carrying the glorious emblem. Into what more valiant and worthy hands could he have placed it? After night had fallen, and while the soldiers on guard, stretched beside their fires, sang of the coming expedi- tion, Candidus gathered the Christians of the army into his tent. They thanked God for the signal favour He had that day granted them, and then talked of the sweet hopes it inspired them with : the conversion of Constantine,
the triumph of the Christian faith in Rome itself. A feeling of fihal tenderness also made the young Centurion's heart beat more quickly. Rome sheltered Irene, that pious mother whom he venerai«d and loved so dearly, whose letters he knelt in order to read, kissing the lines with devotion. He knew that the persecution which had deprived her of her husband and her sons had reduced her to poverty, and even though so far away Candidus tried to help her. Anicius PauUnus had brought him good news from Irene. He told him with what heroic courage she had watched her husband and sons die for the faith, with what devotedness and self-sacrifice she gave herself up to the care of the poor and the sick.
When scarcely more than a child Candidus had left his father's home to follow the career of arms, and for 16 TALEBIA
seven long years he had not seen that beloved mother; but like some holy vision her sweet image was ever in his thoughts, and, after God, he attributed to her the grace of having preserved his innocence and piety in the midst of the camp.
On f the joy of returning to his mother, of feeling her kifls and blessing on his brow ! Candidus seemed to see it all already. In a tent near by that of the happy Candidus, while the whole camp was rejoicing, one man was occupied with dark, angry thoughts. It was Gordien. Lying on sumptuous cushions, his head leaning on his hand, he had imperiously ordered his slaves to leave him alone. Beside him there were a golden cup fiUed with sparkling wine and a silver tray of delicious fruits, but they had not been touched. The dark looks of the high pnest were fiUed with anger and hatred ; he spoke to himself in a low voice, and seemed to take pleasure m untatmg his wounded pride. " What ! and shaU I be ridiculed by one who is still but a youth, by a vile Christian ? Did I not hear him audaciously scofiF at our sacrifices, and treat with scorn the interpretation of the omens of our divinities which was given by me? Shall I, without trembling with in- dignation, see the name of the abhorred Nazarene at the head of our legions, and the standards of the immortal gods of Rome consigned to oblivion ? — ' No ! it " No shall not be so ! Beside himself and carried away by his anger, the aruspex raised himself on his couch, while a diaboUcal sneer curled his lips. "No, Emperor," he cried with proud defiance, "no, thou Shalt not conquer by this sign ! Gordien shall work A SIGN IN THH HBAVBN8 17
for his gods, and on the bloody battlefields, in the midst ^"^^ ^°^^ °^ *^y ««^^«"' hecatombhlif u^^ *u' - splendid for the altar sacrifice !_ Gordien shaU eel- ebrate thy ruin and proclaim the triumph of his divi- mties over the GalUean," Without further delay he set to work to carry the out treacherous designs his vengeance had An planned. hour later one of his trusted slaves stealthily left Gordien s tent, and gUding quickly and cautiously be- tw^n the other tente, pitched here and there, jumped as "** ^^^'^ *^" ^x>* ^^^ P^"««de which sur- roundedrlTlthe Roman camp. Sewn into his clothes he earned a letter addressed to Rufus who commanded the legions of Maxentius in the cantonments in the north of Italy.
CHAPTER II
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
fragrant coolness had a replaced the sultry heat of summer the heavy 2^ ; rains had refreshed the parched ^''^ ^°"'^'' ^^ Campagna adorned with its luxu- nriant <.egetation seemed to awaken to a second spring ?";rlit""^"« «^^^^« ^^^ ^^""- -tumn' This day the 11th of . October, was a day of great joicmg re- m Rome the cries ; of the peasants resounded
« -- -ne of the year drunk. was tZ TwotI'T^'Tdays later the Fontenahs would be cele- brated at which time all the fountains and springs would be tastefuUy decorated with garlands of flowers leaves, and amid universal joy. ^'°"«^* ^°^J« fhPr ^?l'?'? *^^ Ron^ans back from thexr beautiful, luxurious country ViUas to the capiS This was the reason why the Prefect Aradius Rufinus had returned to Rome with his wife and daughter and his splendid palace on the cJmonumn ZTr^ ^^''"°- "". * ^^^ q"^^«r of the city waswas' thethp centre. of theu' splendid aristocratic homes which rivalled each other in grandeur and magnificence. ^^ '^^'''^ '^'^' "^der the emperors MaxmiusMaJi^ andTSConstantius Chlorus, and had beeV the companion m arms of Constantine and MaxentTus. Called later on to the Asiatic court of Diocletian in Nicomedia, he had married the noble Sophr'nL who ao VALERIA belonged to one of the most influential families of the country. Three sons and one daughter were born of this happy union. Rufinus entrusted the education of his sons to Lac- tantius Firmianus who had been recalled from Africa to Nicomedia, in 301, and was nominated master of eloquence. Shortly after his appointment, Lactantius, who was as seriously earnest as he was learned, began secretly to study the Christian religion, and, being soon con- vinced that it was the only religion which possessed the truth, embraced it, but did not openly declare his faith, in order to be the better able to serve the Church. The Prefect relied on him implicitly and had not the slightest suspicion of his being a Christian. The duties of his office otten kept Rufinus away from home and Lactantius took advantage of these absences to sow in the young
hearts confided to his care the seeds of Christianity ; he did so hov,ever with great prudence and discretion. Unfortunately the three young men were withdrawn all too soon, from the influence of this good master, to embrace a military career. Valeria, the privileged child, remained alone with her father and mother. At her birth she was confided to a Christian nurse who tried, at an early age, to instil into the child's heart the teachings of the Christian faith. Valeria seemed naturally disposed to receive them, and tne Prefect's daughter was already a fervent Christian in heart when Diocletian opened the terrijle and bloody persecution, in 303, during which her devoted nurse was taken away from her. Consequent on important public events, which the limits of our story will not allow us to give in detail, FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 21 Dwdetian wa« compelled to give up the crown ; the *hen enjoyed a short nvlni respite, of which Valeria '"^ thoroughly instructed and Tr^tly. baptized Maxentius assumed h.V'Z !?.^°® the imperial ourple.
^' '•«^°«^^d and appreciated ; he Z^Tu^offered h,m allTl that could flatter his ambition, and Ru- frnus came and took up his residence in Rome with his wife and daughter. The Emperor entrusted him successively with the highest offices, the most eminent posts, and finally made tnniprefectus urbi,' thus placing in his hand the supe- rior direction of the civil administration. Rufinus was then about fifty year« of age. He was tall and striking looking his ; bearing was stem, his fidelity to all the duties of his office was unexceptionable, his integrity and his justice had gained for him the re- putation of a faithful yet kind judge. Sophronia had not yet attained her fortieth year • she was beautiful, of a dazzUng oriental beauty, which attracted attention the more as, in her passionate love for her country, she retained her national costume. Valeria was not quite sixteen ; she had inherited her father stateliness 8 and her mother's beauty. Her waving, silky, black hair framed a delicate, finely featured, oval face, and her large dark eyes reflected the innocence and purity of her soul. Gifted also with more than or- dinary mteUigence, and a strong will, she was the pride and joy of her parents. With what love and tenderness
^Jhis office which was much the same aa that of the Mayor of to-day, was created, in 312 for Aradiua Ru*' lus. 22 VALXRIA
did they not watch over this cherished child, the only one left to brighten their home. Two of Valeria's brothers were in the army in the East under Lucinius, the third had met a glorious death on the field of battle. Valeria, but little solicitous about her own beauty and charms, thought anxiously only of obtaining first her mother's conversion to the true faith and then her
father's ; and she did not hesitate, soon after her baptism, to make known to them the new faith which she had embraced.
This declaration came like a thunderclap to Rufinus ; his indign&iion was as great as his sorrow was deep. He loved his daughter too well however to remain long displeased with her^ and the young girl joyfully foroisaw in her father's indulgence the hope of his future conversion. During her husband's absences, Sophronia, faithful to the customs of her country, avoided all company and remained quietly in her own palace. These hours of sol- itude drew the mother and child more closely tosether, and Valeria availed herself of this to gently bring her beautiful, dearly loved mother to know the truths of
Christianity ; Sophronia, on her part, unconsciously allowed herself to be influenced by the ardent faith and zeal of her young daughter. Sometimes however Sophronia was obliged by her rank to assist at some of the brilliant fetes that Maxentius gave in honor of the noble Roman ladies, and from which she could not absent herself without exciting the tyrant's
anger ; on these occasions she regretfuLy left her daugntcr alone in their home on the Coelimontium. When alone the young girl prayed and implored heaven FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 38
to grant to her beloved mother hot only the gift of faith but the courage to confess that faith. In her work of conversion Valeria had a devoted helper. During the Ia«t winter, circumstances had thrown Sophronia and her daugjjter into the company of Irene, the saintly mother of the young tribune Candidus. This noble woman bore bravely the trials with which her l>'e had been strewn. Full of faith and ardent charity, she possessed a powerful charm to which Valeria could not remain insensible, and the truly filial affection of the young girl " )r the Christian matron, opened to the latter the doors of the palace of Rufinus. With infinite tact, Irene gradually introduced Valeria and her mother to the life of active Christian charity. In her company the wife and daughter of the Tribune learned their way to the abodes of the poor in the Su- burra or the Transtevire, and tasted the sweetness of gmng to the poor of their abundance, and pouring into their hearts the babn of compassion and Christian cha- rity. To Irene alone did Valeria dare to speak of her sorrow m seeing her mother hesitate, on account of her husband's position, to declare that she was a Christian and openly ask to be instructed by a priest. Irene consoled the aflfectionate girl by telling her that the prayers of the poor are all powerful with God, and that the noble soul, whose struggles she so earnestly watched, could not peiTsh.
Alas ! even then as now it was not easy for the great ones of the worid to enter in at the narrow gate which leads to the kingdom of heaven. Family, position, for- tune, were so many chains, so many obstacles, which retained Sophronia's soul captive. VALERIA 24
who hut just tolcrutod She knew indeed that Rufinu. would never Penn.t h« wife hi« daughter's conversion that wan for guessing the work t« follow her example, told he one day m dec^ve going on in her soul, he had her part would bring about words, that such an act on their separation. " withj*i, thev,« un-„«. •• citizen. said he If I were but a simple holding a high position. 1 conscious eg .ism of a man your would leave you f,^ to follow '"^^'";^*>°'^' ^"^ can have no other religion the wife of the Prefect of Rome than that of the Roman state." before this men- Sophronia had bowed her head And brave not yet the courage to ace. feeUng that she had She was one o Tger'of the husband she loved. Te but shrink before suffering those Lis who would not dear to her. who dreaded the displeasure of those Sophronia s God was about to have compassion on in a few short hoi^ desires and loving weakness, and possible sacrifice and at lead her to make the greatest proud heart. the same time break Rufinus's throne, when, Maxentius was scarcely seated on the suspended the persecution to concUiate the people, he respite wa« of short against the Christians. But this assured him of the duration. When Rufus's victories he had made the peo- tranquU possession of Egypt, when against his father which ple forget his criminal revolt when, at last, the dis- had led him to the throne, and the other emj^rors sensions which reigned between his fears, he let fall and the death of Galerius dissipated on finding what a the mask, and Rome shuddered master she wept over savage despot had l>ecome her ; de- cupidity and the shameless his cruelty, his revolting witness. bauchery of which she was the FAITHfUL UNTO DEATH 25
The pagans were not treated any better than the ."^"^"^ '"°"''^'-- "1^' t"" A severe famine addedSZfto the sufferings of the people, and their exasper- *'P**'' "^^^^ •*« *^«8^t Tk .u"t ^hen they saw that the Emperor mocked at their misery, distributing gold and provisions lavishly among his soldiers and saying jecringly : "Revel, and make good cheer even to excess and prodigality. "
When the cries of the starving populace and their importunate demands reached his ears, the tyrant or- dered his troops to pitilessly strike the importuners who surrounded the palace, adding with horrible cynicism : Satisfy thew " hunger thus forever ! But the increased taxes, collected with extreme se- venty, did not suffice to cover Maxentius's insane expen- diture. The money extorted from the merchants and artisans was inmediately squandered on riotous feasting or helped to raise the magnificent buildings in which the Emperor deUghted. The new circus was not completed when he laid the foundations of a temple whose splen- dour was to be unrivalled and which he dedicated to nis son Romulus. The discontent of the lower classes soon spread amongst the nobles who were not free from the exactions of the tyrant. On the false information of the partisans of Maxentius the noblest and richest citizens were im- prisoned, deprived of their property and often put to death The Christians, more than all others, suffered irom the cruelty of this profligate prince. In 310, the Pope Marcellinus had suffered martyrdom ; the fo lowing year, his successor, Eusebius, was exiled to Sicily where he died shortly after, and, if Maxentius 26 VALERIA
edicts of persecution had not yet renewed the bloody he feared to strengthen the at- it was simply because seemed to have for tachment which the Roman army showed hmiself the Constantine who, on the ontrary, protector of the Christi '*s. Rome was full of Under these conditic is a stay in preferred .H vould have sadness and anxiety ai 'iufinvis ^or some tmie longer m to leave his wife and daufelitc: Alban hills, but the Empe- their handsome Villa on the Matrons to the f^tes of ror had invited all the Roman of the Prefect, more than the Mmtrinales and the wife avoid accepting the miperious any one else, could not
invitation. . i t> c Capital, Rufinus, A few days after their return to the were seated on a beautiful with his wife and daughter, after the fatigues of the terrace, looking west, resting at the charming pic- day Rufinus gazed with pleasure slopes were dotted over ture made by the hills whose graceful villas all bathed in with pretty villages and the golden glow of the sunset. eyes wandered listlessly Silent and pensive Sophronia's scene. over the lovely . possession of her A profound melancholy had taken for a mysterious voice and she was anxious and uneasy, unceasmgly urging seemed to be speaking to her heart, conversation with Valeria had her to leave Rome. A longed more than ever brought her some comfort and she not only in heart but openly and to become a Christian, sinccrGlv of the Roman The conversation as well as the ideas mind. After the matron were affected by her frame of brought a basket of magni- ccem (the supper), a slave placed them on a table. Taking ficent purple grapes and FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 27
up one beautiful bunch Valeria expressed her admira- tion of them; Sophronia looked at the delicious fruit and turmng to the young girl said to her, as if she wished ner to remember this lovely sunset hour : " Is not this fruit the type of a soul that has grown up amid sufferings and trials ? The vine was planted m stony ground, it was bound to the wood, it shed tears under the knife of the vine-dresser, it was necessary that the wami sun of summer should take pity on it and pour over It Its hfe giving rays to ripen on its branches this frmt which is the noblest of those of earth " Valeria gently laid down in the basket the bunch she had been holding, and her mother, following up her Idea, took up a single grape and pressing it between her delicate fingers continued as if speaking to herself : 'See, the skin is as red as blood, but the interior is clear and transparent, and around the hard seeds we find " the sweet, refreshing juice. While speaking a tear feU down her cheek and mingled with the juice of the grape. This mood, which was quite foreign to Suphronia's nature, filled the heart of her husband and daughter with uneasmess and they sat silently beside her not danng to disturb the deep reverie into which she had fallen. Night brought Sophronia no comfort. The next morning Rufiniw, seeing that she was still a prey to these dark forebodings, wished to remain with her and help her to overcome them but, ; alas ! an import;ant council had been convened for that day and the Prefect could not absent himself. He'promised however to despatch his business as quickly as possible in order to return early ' and he then left sad at heart. 28 VALERIA
from Sophronia, when alone, went up to the balcony to take, which she could se« the road her husband was the and she followed him with her eyes till he went past Coliseum and towards the Forum, behind the temple Prefecture. of Peace, near which stood the palace of the her A magnificent panorama stretched itself out before
A i ^hi- sad gaze. Immediately in front of her lay the .nd theatre, the Coliseum, the double temple of Ven, Titus towards of Rome, and the Arch of Triumph of ; palaces, the left was the Palatine, with its sumptuous noble the Emperor's overiooking all the others. But the heart matron paid no heed to the beautiful sight; her an irresis- was full of other thoughts. She longed with her native tible longing to see her' sons, she thought of sigh to land, a thousand dear memories brought the were filled her lips, and the eyes she raised to heaven with blinding tears. wife could It was only from thence that Rufinus's combat obtain the courage necessary for the terrible which awaited her. the Plunged deep in ^t, she had not perceived palace. strange dark figures were approaching the shoulders Slaves in imperial livery and carrying on their the vesti- a carefully curtained Sedan chair had entered guarding bule, while armed soldiers were posted around
all the entrances to the house. Sophronia A slave suddenly presented himself before wished to saying that a messenger from the Emperor when the see her. He had not ceased speaking however the room. freed man, who had craftily followed him, entered features At sight of this man whose naturally repulsive were rendered more so by a coarse smile, the noble woman bowed was seized with a terrible fear. The messenger FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 29
profoundly before her and, without any preamble or
subterfuge, said : " Noble Lady, our divine Emperor, smitten with your beauty and your grace, has chosen you for his spouse. I am ordered to take you immediately to his Divinity, the bearers are waiting in the vestibule." At these words a mortal pallor spread over the poor woman's face. For a few seconds paralysed by fear, she stood motionless, like the roe when she suddenly sees herself before a wild beast without any leans of escape. She raised her imploring eyes to heaven in mute sup- plication, however, and then recovering herself answered
proudly : " Go, and give the Emperor the answer his servant
sends him : " I have sworn fidelity to my husband, Rufinus, and I believe in the Christian faith, for which two reasons I shall never accede to the Emperor's desires." " Very well, noble Lady, said the courtier with disgusting cynicism, and emphasizing each word so as to naake her the better " understand ; but learn that the ties which bind you to your husband are easily broken, for, says the proverb, no one on earth is immortal, and it is not to the Christian but to the patrician that the Em- peror addresses himseh'." Sophronia trembled with indignation on hearing this and stirred to the inmost depths of her being, wounded all m that was most noble in her nature, she cried with an energy that only heaven could have given he " No, no, " never ! dost thou hear, never ! " Then," said the messenger with a very significant movement of his head, "then understand that I have express orders to take you to the Emperor without delay, 30 VALERIA
will vain. by violence, if necessary. All resistance be you are It will be better to avoid any noise. If however carry obstinate, my men are there ready to bind you and you away by force." The poor woman wrung her hands despairingly and
murmured : " Is there no means of escaping from such an od.jus " order ? " None," replied the instrument of the dishonest pleasures and vengeance of the imperial despot. In her deep distress, Sophronia again raised her eyes with a look of entreaty and despau-. Life was over for dishon- her. The patrician would never give herself up to Christian, who seemed suddenly to be bom in or ; the her, preferred death to the sin which she thought would render her unworthy to enter the Church. The hour had come in which the love of Rufinus could not prevent her going to God. Suddenly she grew calm and a quiet decision could be read on her features. Adressing Maxentius's freed
man she said : "I ask thee for a quarter of an hour to attire myself in my festive robes." " Willingly," replied the messenger who was deUghted at this decision. He watched Sophrgnia retiring towards her apart- ments and said with a loud, coarse, sardonic laugh : " She is hke so many others, she will soon prefer the glitter of the imperial crown to the home and love of " Rufinus, and will wear her mourning lightly ! However a quarter of an hour passed and the noble matron did not reappear; the messenger's patience was exhausted, he thought of the expectant Emperor an4 . "
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 31
Without further waiting he passed through the rooms leading to Sophronia's apartments. He knocked at the door but there was no response ; he called several times, but the silence was unbroken ! . . Could this woman, in spite of all his precautions, have found some secret means of escape ? The freed-man was not ignorant of the fate which awaited him, should he be unsuccessful, and he ^.aetily opened the door. Sophronia, who had spent some of the time in prayer, rose immediately when she saw the fatal hour had arrived. " Lord " " ! she cried, forgive me if I follow the only way of escape from crime which remains open to me, I " give my soul to Thee. At the same time, seizing a poniard, which she had placed near at hand, she plunged it into her breast and fell silently at the feet of the stupefied freed-man. This noble woman's last sigh was an appeal to heave- to remain faithful to her duty; though she had not re- ceived baptism she believed in the Christ and it was with Him that her soul, athirst for peace, justice and virtue, found its place of rest. ^ A frightful blasphemy escaped
1. This is an historical fact. Eusebius cites it in his Htitory of the Church, in the biography " of Constantine, and he adds : This woman has shown now and for ever to the entire world, that a true sentiment of honour and ward of the heart are to be found only among Christians with ; them they are stronger than death. Although Saint Augustine declares that no one has a right to take his life, even in a desperate case like Sophronia's, he acknowledges that God might sometimes demand this heroic act. The Saint even mentions certain women who, to escape from imminent peril, threw themselves into a river, and their feast is solemnly celebrated the Catholic Church. ^^ The Roman Church does not feast So- phroma or Dommiria and her daughters, but the Greek Church honours them with a special cult on the 4th October. VALERIA. b2 flea,true. o.Ma»„Uu.sn>c^n.e. and he „.„„ the, UPS «ere tragic events ''VZ' :^' V:C whjle these ' place in the P"!*™ study. taking ^^, mornings in accustomed to »P^'\"^ She was ^^^ arrived, she that aimed men Informed by a slave „^, but Cuiekly hurried ^^"^a Srove her back brutollj r'P"^ the emissaries . ^ explanation. her own rooms in an agony to ^'^^^^f^f^Heh'W ^"^d Ju Terrified, the P<«r ^^^^^ ^^^^ j^. could be taKing v what sad mystery seemed ther's roof. , y^h to her Upse of half sign After the ^^yy retire at a the solders^ J'"'"'^^^'^ aUfetime, she saw j by this the ™P»-\ mother had horn 7„Sgbu^ that her it her :rovr:;trrvore:lSment into which her. fear had thrown ^^ j^^^ ^^ther i feU I Answered her call """^ tt*trXewhid!x"t^ » anxiously, out .,
:^hT Ind^athed i^ «.:t"hert::tc^ed f swoon uST:; "tguish and fell in a "' vt: body^.^^ mother's inanimate beside her ^^^ hastened his busing and /"„t iS wTSd W FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 33
nias room in temble anguish *^' sJ^\f^^* ?^ ^'^^'"'^ ^°^y he stood a moment ^^^"^^"^' f^ L^:e^ZLi:nto~ ^^« -^ «"^^ -th
wife 8 body, and lifting her head in his hands, he said'in a voice full of tenderness and broken bv .obs • Sophronia, Sophronia, my sweet' beloved wife no
• ^P"^^^^'^' *hou art '\ " not dead i Dead,Sead^'Jith'without'r my being able to defend thee » Oh
lace. Brave and faithful, she had fled from earth rath^ ban perjure herself and render herself unworthy orthe God to whom she had opened her heart. himself \^^ the Prefect enquired hishi« daughter.w '^'^r'^ for They took him to her On approaching the bed on which and Valeria lay nale motionless, the unfortunate father thought ttat she
Is she really only " in a swoon ? he implored " U no this rigidity death ? Am I to have child torn mrSnd mv from me in the same hour ? » ^
^" ^^"^'" ^^'^ vufsivtlvvulsively, hands con- 'trTnl''*'Ttrying vainly^r^''to impart some warmth to them '''*''"'• '^^^*^' ^^^^^ -^« -*^hl "o lovlXlver h'
''' "'"'' waTgood ' ^"^" ^^«-^ - *he pulse " ^"*'" 'he added, " we shall have to be very careful." 34 VALERIA
into an adjoining She then begged the Prefect to retire ol)eyed, and during these long moments room ; Rufinus to understand the great- of waiting, he had, alas ! time weight of his suffermg. ness of his trial and to feel the crushed The blow which had struck hun so suddenly had on which to lean him; in vain did he seek for something time and from and by which to raise himself. For the first human strength is but his own experience he learned that the weight weakness and altogetor iwwerless to carry could not comfort of a great sorrow alone. His gods plunged in these him, his philosophy was vain. He was vanity of ali that he bitter thoughts, which proved the brought hun a paper had hitherto esteemed, when a slave Sophronias which had just been found on a table in feeUngs when he recognized i his i i room. What were not mourned ! the writing of her whom he so bitterly the following Unes, It was with a full heart that he read
wife : the last memorial of his beloved how tenderly M " My dear Husband, God alone knows heart is broken at I love thee and our children ! My good-bye, having to leave you all without saying a last human power shall make but I cannot do otherwise. No thee how should me unfaithful to the promise I made ; myself, to don the white I dare, after having porjured ardently baptismal robe for whicii I have been longing so for so long a time ? soul, at this supreme "With all the fervour of my to show me another moment. I ask of the one only God shall follow if no help comes to me I way to save myself ; like the hart, I the inspiration of my conscience, and, hunter, I shall climb shall escape from the snare of the of the persecutor the high mountains where the feet cannot follow me.
!i M s
,~A FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 3S
secret, and Whom, at this moment, I confess, nope, will, I receive my soul. '' Oh ! how much I shall pray for you all ! Valeria, my beloved child, console thy recommend father- me to the prayers of the Church, remei^:
'"^'•"P*^^ ^^y the imperial J^'^unlt;was emissary, unable to write more she ; could not tell her husband a K she believed, all she hoped for, she could not te him of her wish to meet him beyond the tomb where
'"^ ''^''' ^"PP'"^«^^ ''' without without an fear, alloy,"""T^true and enduring """^ '"''"^ rJlfZi "If *^" P'-^^'^"^ ""«« without mng while the tears flowed down his face, but his deep
of tenderest love and each line reflected the delicate generous and noble feelings of the faithful wife ' At this moment a slave came to inform the Prefect '^^^^^--••^^ ^-- her swoon and for her lied "flthfather On seeing him, she stretched out her
'P'"'''"^' ^"' '^'^' 'y'^ t-'^i ctnttcientiy o th «"ffi- of their common grief
""" '"' """'• "»'' ^hc came inn allall. haste I"'"™ hit to ther house of mourning; full of rharitv and compassion, she knew how to ap;i; a 1 Jm to "he " "" "'"^^ thusTherever she welt thist noble "tbr""''-woman earned with her the treasure of which onate mercy of our eternal God has sent to thi, vale 96 VALRRIA
of tears so that we poor, weak mortals should not sink under the weight of the cross. Aft^-r the death of our dear ones the sweetest consola- tion to us who weep, is the memory of the gowl done by them and also their last words : like the brilliant sunset which leaves its luminous traces after a fine summer day. Irene, whose own delicate feelings made her under- stand this, began gently to speak to Valeria and her father of the good done by Sophronia and how, only the day before, she had visited the Tran8til)erian quarter to carry to a poor woman, who had just l)ecome a mo- ther, strengthening food and linen for the new born in- fant ; she told also of other acts of charity, self-denial and devotedness of their beloved dead of which she her- self had been a witness and the faithful confident. Listening to Irene they were better able to understand the last words Sophronia had written in face of death. In their love for the dead, and forgetting the differ- ence in their religious belief, the two women talked long on this inexhaustible subject, and the Prefect listen- ed attentively, allowing their words to sink, into his heart which was athirst for consolation, and which re- ceived them as the parched earth drinks in the refreshing rain.
Rufiii(*s had always thought that he understood his wife perfectly, but it was only now that he really knew the depths of her pure, noble heart. What sublime thoughts did he hear spoken of for the first time by tne lips of Irene and Valeria, thoughts which were abstruse to him i f but which appeared quite natural to the two women. Rufinus knew that Irene's husband had been condemned for the Christian faith with her two sons, but he had never heard of the details of their death. He asked him- FAITHFTTL UNTO DEATH 37
self how a weak woman could have borne bo much sorrow and he gently questioned her. Irene, guessing the Pre- fect's thoughts and feeUngs, willingly acceded to his request she thought, ; and not without reason, that the recital of the martyr's suffenngs would have a happy in- fluence over him in his present state of mind, and after reflecting a moment she J)egan : ''When, after Diocletian's sanguinary edicts had been proclaimed, Maximian, yielding to his natural cruelty, tracked the Christians like wild beasts, con- fiscating our churches and our hospitals, and not even respecting our cemeterien, my husband was Governor of the palace, and we li\ed in Maximian's own house. A good Christian, Castulus, did not feai to place our home at the disposal of the Church. And while Maximian signed the cruel edicts which were to make the blood of countless martyrs to flow, the Christians celebrated the divine office in his palace. Noble Rufinus, dost thou not " rememlier the brave Tribune Sebastian ? "He w^ D was first pierced by the arrows of the Mauri- tanian archers and left for dead, but who was taken away the Christians V and cared for, and after being cured, as • clubbed to death ? I remember that he was much talked of at the time." " Yes," continued Irene, " we took away the body which was thought to be dead. We had it carried secretly to our house to have it quietly buried thp foUowing night ; but what was our joy on finding that the martyr still breathed! We nursed and cared for him as best we could and he grew strong again. However the holy young man, who desired so much to die for the faith, presented himself bodly before the Emperor and reproached him for his cruelty and crimes, with so much Uberty and in such •s» VAUSHIA
forciblo lunKUJiRf, that Maximian who had «>vorr(t!ii« \m fipHt foeliiiK of fear and was furiously anKry had him hcaton to death on the upot. " The P^niiKTor did not stop there ; he made encpiirios to find out hy whom Sebastian had U'en taken in and careii for, and when lie diseovered that an officer of hiw court had given Sebastian a refuge in his own palace ami that the Christians often asseml '"d there for pray- ing, his rage knew no bounds, and he ordered my hus- band to l)e thrown into prison. After a summary exam- ination and cruel tortures, Castulus was l)uried alive in a sand-pit before the Sabioanian gate." Overcome by these sad memories, Irene was silent for a few moments, and then continued : " Thrown into prison with my two daughters, one of whom was fifteen and the other sixteen years old, I had much to suffer : the only one who escaped from the hatred of the persecutor was my youngest son, (^anilidus, whom his father had sent to the military school in Gaul. " My sufferings during this captivity of several months were all the more cruel . . I was entirely seperated from my poor daughters ; I was never allowed to see them again in spite of all my tears and supplications; the orders were so strict that I was not permitted to have even the slightest news of them. " One morning however the keeper came to announce to me, with heartless indifference, that both my daughters were lying on their prison floor, dead of starvation and want.
' What was not my sorrow on receiving this mes- sag«\ a sorrow that was increased l)y the fonnal refusal to allow to me see my beloved children for the last tune. Mad with grief I threw myself at the feet of FAITHniL UNTO DEATH m
i\m man of marhlr; my tears, my Highs, my terrible wufferings wore at last victorious. "But how de«,.ribe what my crushed lieart suffered when I entered their
40 VALEBIA
Despite his fears, and being reassured by Irene, the Prefect gave his daughter the required permission. Did not Irene know, from her own experience that whoso- ever drinks of the chalice of sorrow with courage and resignation, finds mysterious and divine strength at the bottom of the cup ? Valeria, accompanied by her whom, now more than ever, she could call her adopted mother, went to the tablium where Sophronia's body had been laid. How deeply was the poor child moved when she found herself in this loved presence ! Kneeling down she passed her arm under her mother's head and murmured: " My mother, my dearest mother ! baptized in thy own blood ! I shall not weep for thee, the daughter of so brave a woman must show herself worthy of her mo- ther. May God bind the young vine to the wood of the cross? Through my tears I can see the happiness which thou dost enjoy in heaven, and I praise the Lord with thee, " brave, happy mother ! Assisted by Irene and two faithful slaves, Valeria ac- complished her last, sad but consoling task ; she em- bahned the dear body with the most precious aromatics and clothed it in a rich robe of silk interwoven with gold, placed a palm in her hands and wove a wreath of roses which she laid on her head.
1. The ancient Romans took the greatest care of their dead. . They enveloped them in fine windingnsheets (lirUea) and anointed them with highly perfumed oil {unguenta) or clothed them often in prec' If < fabrics of gold and silk.
L ' _• " Acts of the Martyrs, " " precious winding-sheets " and splendid garments " are often spoken of ; in our own days most valuable stuffs have been found in which the dead had been buried. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 41
their pale hght over her, while scented incense burned
eveo^hing, Valeria reverently took al f h?"^ 'T^u^ ^'^ ^^" *he that '"^^^ '" blood hadh!d flowedflolTffromTher mother's heart, and enclosed the precious relics in a rich chest of castly wood with silver S and mother of peari '''"' '"^^^ for''thffune'f«/w' f *° ^^^ preparations ""'"^^ '^' ^"*^""*^^« °f the decease o that In w u'k ^^'"/^^^•"^^^ at the hour appointed. FaithfuFaffhffl T'^jito the mission confided to her by her mother Valeria returned to her father to comfori. L ; Te felt how necessary she was to him, for the light of f^t^ Z
'^^'*""'«"' anTnufV '^^ Christians employed more perfume
^'''"'!?-'^ ^^-^ral sarcopha^ eontur^century, of the 4th wJwhichoh on 1bemR opened exhaled a delightful perfume
'", **'' '^''^ themselves finrt'cbth'^'*''"?' T^'^'y' in their " '''*""'' ' *"' °° ™«"«°" whatever is S>^nt ' made of Their solicitude for the inhumation of their dear dead was verv Kreat, particularly in the case of martyrs. Prudence telbusTat Z
am?n".':h1"t^e™"A™"*rP^^^^^ °''^'"* ^"«"«*-^' --ted .Hehfo^"ofrr^;-o:r:L^^^^^^^^^ -h 42 VALERIA
was not upheld not brighten his dark night of sorrow. He Providence which turns as she was by her trust in di^nne the blessed hope of aU to our greater good, neither had he never to be one day seeing again, in a happy eternity, deeply. separated, her whose loss he mourned so again reading the The girl found her unhappy father on seeing his daughter last words written by Sophronia ; approach he held out the paper to her saying : ^ " hear your mother s Read it aloud, my child, T shall voice while listening to yours." of her whose Valeria took the paper, and, true daughter in a steady voice, great courage she had inherited, read last though she trembled witn emotion, Sophronia's message. " : The Christ, When she had finished the last words in secret, and Whom in Whom I have, till now believed hope, receive m^ soul. at this moment, I confess, will, I " Rufinus I shall pray for you aU ? Oh ! how much
regretfully said : " her from domg as she de- Oh ! why did I prevent " sired ? for you now, " said Va- " She is praying to Our Lord " for us both there with leria gently, and she is waiting Him. " to the According to custom, Valeria led her father well conceive how his sorrow chamber of death ; we can on was renewed on seeing his beloved wife lying Ufeless strange, unknown feeUng filled his heart, the bier ; but a of him wnen a deep veneration seemed to take possession he approached his dear dead. on her Kneeling beside her, he placed her last lines to hear the words breast and, as if he expected once more bUnding teara from her own Ups, he looked, through the FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 43
from the writing to the beautiful peaceful face wife of his who appeared transfigured. Sophronia's heroism opened new worlds to him What the words of the loving wife would perhaps "^^^^'^'^ ^"""« '^f«' w\TTu *h^ voi^^e of her blood which had been shed to be faithful to duty, and the thought '"' '^^" ^"^P^^^^ b>^ *he ChristLn faith,dtl iralreadyTr*^began to influence the Prefect's soul ^'''' ^^ ^^^^'•^^ a°d fhf t?^ ^u""^^^ upwards to the Theights where she had taken refuge, and Rufinus" heart was not averse to follow her • I
I !
I I ;
CHAPTER III
THRKATENING CLOUDS
JTndolently stretched on a magnificent divan, with ^^^ clouded brow and yawning over the vexatious reports contained in the poUtical pages of the Acta Diurna, Maxentius anxiously awaited Sophronia's arrival. The low extraction of the tyrant seemed to reveal it- self more amid the luxury of the imperial dwelling his whole exterior betrayed the barbarian ; his broad shoulders, as well as the thick neck which supported the large round head, were indicative of brute force ; the low, narrow forehead was covered almost down to the eyebrows with thick shaggy hair resembling a mane, and there was something so bold and fierce in his eyes that people avoided encountering his looks. Proud of his savage strength, ne loved to compare himself to Hercules, and had given this name to his body guard which waa composed of picked men who had been chosen for their height and strength. He threw aside the official paper, and tired of waiting, was about to send a second emissary to the Prefect's house, when it was announced to him that a messenger with a very urgent letter wished to see him. " Let him take it to the Prefect at the Chancellor's house, and if he does not find him, let him take it wherever he hkes, " rephed the Emperor, showing unmistakable signs of impatience ; then suddently thinking that the 4« VALERIA
war against Con- letter probably contained news of the and took stantine in Upper Italy, he changed his mind remembering some the letter. Before even opening it, cried out to slight successes won by his adversarj', he Rufinus as if the latter could hear him : into " Should the pike break a few meshes of the net little the inclina- which I have drawn him, it matters ; and flounder will soon pass, and I shall tion to wriggle " to govern. pay thee for this big fish by giving thee Gaul The messenger was in fact an estafet of the Commander 'f 1 who led the armies in the north. Maxentius opened the cover. He read and the further he read the more his face darkened. Constantine had crossed the Alps and had won a vic- but he tory at Turin. Maxentius knew this already, entirely had not paid much attention to it. He trusted so military to the well-known bravery and incontestable proofs in talents of his Commander, of which he had Egypt, that up to the present moment he had not doubted beaten but that Rufus had purposely allowed himself to be and that he would soon send his imperial master his enemy's head. ! I But events were taking a course that was far from ex- pected by Maxentius. This letter imformed him that after having taken Turin, Constantine had marched on beaten the imperial troops Brescia and Verona ; he had at both these places, Verona had -en taken by assault, and Ruricus, the Commander of the place, was among to all military laws, at Verona the killed ; and contrary and at Brescia, as at Turin, he had spared the lives of the garrison. " With the taking of Verona, " said Rufus, " the advance whole of Upper Italy is lost ; the impetuous
I "
THRBATENING CLOUDS 47
of the enemy and the discouragemen': of our own soldiers do not admit of my again meaf^iiung my strength with our adversary in the plains of the Po; I was therefore obliged to give the order to close the passes of the Apen- nines so as to gain time to reconstitute a new army in the neighbourhood of Florence. I implore you, O Em- peror, to send me without the least delay, all available lorces, particularly the legions so eagerly expected from " Sicily and from Africa. " No, " cried Maxentius impetuously, " such news " cannot be true ! Full of rage he trod the fatal letter under foot, without even reading it to the end, and becoming more furious
cried : " Florence ! Florence ! Ah ! the base, the traitrous ! Give up Florence, Parma, and Bologna without striking a blow, without even drawing the sword ! Why am I not myself at the head of my legions, where, like Her- cules in his fury, I would hunt the boar which lays waste my fields ! Mad with rage he strode up and down the room re- peating : " How is it that Rufus, who has never been defeated, who commands the best legions, an army twice as large as Constantine's, has allowed himself to be beaten several times and so crushed that his army is completely routed?" Then remembering that he had not finished the letter,
he picked it up and read this : " Gordian, the faithful, devoted priest of Mithras, the sun-god, who is attached to Constantine's army, reported to me that this Emperor, after a pretended apparition in the heavens, made a new Standard like the sign which he is said to have seen; he has himself re- VALERIA 48 sun. and a.-^ «>rt of ,od of ^hc on it as a p^^nted ^^^' mysterious J.^j^^ « has place a ««« of the Chn^^^^J^^^ the name of the God may be this «»»»'« " However ridiculous °;; ^^^^ ^ seen by Con— ^b;, apparition, ^^^^. less tme is none the sleepless night, it va ^^^^^ performing prodigies ot tious soldiers are this standard. ^^^^ong our battle ^ <' Before the last I \'^^ ^^^ ^^n, and different legions five]^^°^'^^^,:f the highest promotion°^'anda ^^^^^even promised them rapid g^^^
'.! Jen .. ^^i;::;,r •'X.rtra .Tu...
hi» t^th and '™St'^'l?d'MLnt,us"What! sam a"» grinding <7 wv.o+ t the Nazarenes «.nvul».vdy, What ! ^"^ hte firt "^ , clenching but ^j^ aiming at my cro^n »* "^^ then are not only key whom I ''"armrT e" Wine kX^
the peo againrt th« scum of ihe Siof extermination de. trembUng with f^r of hU "'Xt'this moment, all tic ^^'tTj^\:;^r:o:\L':i^^.^'^r, Matron ™.H had pre- fjdX'lh'r.lfV Christian, and a.
m h,s Jt% Tfl awaken the ,Ughe«t remorse --/Sr^^utt-ittr^;™- order,, yes, THRSATENINO CIOUD8 49
that goes well with the rest. . . From the lowest beggar to the Bishop Melchiad, they are all traitors. Ah ! how they would triumph if Constantine entered Rome ! But by the immortal gods ! I shall render their drink very bitter before it comes to that. " Go ! he shouted " to the courtier who was delighted to get off with " only a fright, go, and order Heraclius to come to me immediately after the prandium (din- ner) it is he " ; who must take these lice out of my hair. When the Emperor was in a rage, these coarse ex- pressions often fell 'rom his lips. T»'o vulgarity of the plebeian revealed itself. Maxentius began again to stride up and down, his heart full of implacable hatred ; a thousand different ideas, a thousand different projects, r(>jected as soon as conceived, seethed in his brain which was on fire. Last year, had he not, either by his Herculean soldiers or his pretors, massacred hundreds of the citizens without any consideration for rank, sex or even age ? Why should he not now lead into tho amphitheatre a few thousand Christians, so as to intimidate the others by the sight of the atrocious torments he should have inflicted on these victims ? But, " " thought he, these insects are indestructible ; like vermin in wool they overrun the whole city ; there is net a corner in which there are not many concealed ; are there not some even in the palace ? What a terrible thing ! " And then, what a pretext for this Gaul ? He will pose as the saviour of the Roman people, if I kill these " bands of thieves. Having thus given vent to his hatred of the Christians, without having decided anything however, he returned to personal considerations. ""
VALERIA 50
of in the neighbourhood " Rufus is again beaten If even- will be open before the Florence, the way to Rome
"I shall have the he continued suddenly, '"^'Bah'" by good order, strengthen them walls of the city put in and raismg the ramparts^ having moats dug around them dogs try to force my lair, they And then if the Gaulish muzzles ! will retire with bloody reflections and pro- He had arrived at this point in his the critical himself was announced^ In jects, when Rufus himself, the Commander had position in which he found present see the Emperor and to judged it necessary to the and for defence, and to talk \o him his plans for war compli- for it was becoming situation over with him, desperate. cated, almost , momentarily, after having en- He had left his army of the bravest chiefs, and trusted the command to one day without ever resting he had travelled night and much surprised at the Although Maxentius was very General, sudden appearance of the -^/"^^^^^^^^ news he hadl;^;just^^fread. He then the confirmation of the
in a state of defence. "^^J'lthall fortify Rome and put it there shall not re- Rather than give in to Constantine, ! main one stone above another had over the Emperor Rufus knew what influence he him as no other could vM he did not hesitate to speak to
at the gates. Emperor.'' "^"'"If Constantine arrives will not be of • " thy trenches he «aid thy walls and abundant provisions are necessary^ much use. For a siege empty thy store-houses ? Did not last year's famine been able the Prefect Rufinus has I doubt much whether !
THR \TENINO CLOUDS 51
to fill them this ^ cur with the mcaRre crops we have " had. " " If the granaries are not full, cried Maxentius whom the commander's resistance had begun to exasperate, " I swear by the gods that I shall have him roasted alive ! Besides that, I have another account to settle with him with regard to his wife. " In any case, there will be sufficient provisions for the troops for several months. " " Of what advantage will it be to thee to keep Rome " for two or three months, persisted Rufus. " Art thou sure besides that the people besieged in the city will not " revolt ? " The people ! revolt " said the Emperor with a fright- ful grin, " tlio people revolt ! Well, yes, let them ! Like the jugglers with their dogs, with a bloody whip in my hands, I shall make them dance before me, the people" " * But continue. " Thou wilt not be able to hold Rome against Con- stantine for long, " said the " Commander ; but if on the contrary, thou retirest to Sicily and the African pro- vinces, thou wilt there find new forces at thy disposi- tion. Soon after thou shalt be able to appear at the mouth of the Tiber with a powerful fleet. As for me, I shall retire with my legions towards Capua during the winter, and take up my quarters behind the Valfernus. "During this time, Constantine, proud and content in the possession of Rome, will leave us in peace, and in the beginning of the spring, ,/e will advance vsith the ^ fresh troops. "I also count on the alliance of the other Csesar with thee against Constantine who, uniting under his S2 VALERIA
will be sceptre Great Britain, Gaul, Italy and Africa, " too powerful ami redoubtable a colleague. " Maxentius. " By Hercules, I shall think over it, said " could get me into his p<3wer, he Ah ! if Conatantine the would hasten to cut off my head and, exposing it at all the cities of end of a staff, have it carried alx)ut in Olympus ! the Roman empire. But by all the gods of " I swear to do so with his ! " " When thou shalt have got it, replied Rufus drily. " " Sovereign whom If I must leave Rome, cried the " the Commander's remark had set beside himself, if I set fire must leave Rome, it shall not be before I have
" ! 1 vul- the four quarters of the city. Nero will l)e but a I* ; to I can gar fireman beside me. As for my soldiers, I know " count on them.
* The Emperor's i Rtifus was a Roman of the old stock. using insane throat was as revolting to him as was the proposed incen- of his soldiers as hired labourers for his looks, he added diary tire. With frowning brow and dark in a significant and contemptible tone : " Certainly thou canst count on me and the army, but... for battle !" The tyrant but too well knew the man who thus re- of his words. sisted him, to misunderstand the meaning and At this moment a slave entered most opportunely interrupted the conversation. " " " for the pran- It is six o'clock, he said, the hour " dium. " meal, " said Do not let Constantine trouble our large the Emperor indolently, showing once more what a his own com- part of his life was given up to pleasure and " reason about people and things fort ; it is easier to with glass in hand, " he added. THREATENING CLOUDS 53
The same evening, Rufus left Rome more than dis- pleased at Maxentius' manner of doing things and the orders he had received from him. Having consulted the I oracles, the soothnayers 1 in whom he had unlimited faith, I and the omens being favourable, the Emperor, contrary to all military tactics, and in spite of the wise counsels of his Commander, had ordered him to withdraw towards Rome with his troops so as to gain time while waiting for the legions which were to arrive from the south. While these events were taking place at the palace, the young senator, Symmachus, was standing in one of the I galleries of the /herma. At that time there was not, in all the city of Rome, a more pious man than he. and a more fervent and zi alous wor8hipp<'r of the gods. Alone and thoughtful, he could not take his eyes off the magnificent r^oup, in marble, of the Laocoon and
his sons, placed .1 a richly carved niche at the end of the gallery. Among the rare men of merit that the capital then contained, Symmachus was one of the most remarkable. Brought up in the school of Plato, of austere life, he was of noble senatorial origin and possessed great riches. Many times had Maxentius offered him tne most envied, the most brilliant posts, but Symmachus had always refused them not wishing to be the slave of a tyrant. He soon even gave up political life, as he did not approve of the mode of acting of the senators and military men. who, with very few rare exceptions, not only themselve?* forgot the glories and virtues of their ancestors, but even tolerated in their barbarous, cruel Sovereign, the most infamous crimefc, the most unheard of cruelty. Symmachus therefore lived in retirement occupying himself entirely with the education of his son, 'stiir 54 VALERIA
a child, who gave him great hopes for the future^ Was Sophronia's tragic end or the disheartening news of the war, which Sj-mmachus knew by secret means, the cause of his sadness ? Perhaps both together, and yet the senator felt no compassion for this woman, who died to save her honour it is true, but who died more especially because she was a Christian. As for the war, what fear could he feel for the power of Maxentius whom he despised as much as he hated Constantine ? His dark thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an old man who came towards him with a kind, pa- ternal smile and affectionately holding out his hand. His face brightened on recognizing Lactantius Firmanus, his )'I master of rhetoric at the court of Diocletian, in Nicomedia. After the customary salutations, Lactantius said : " It must be eight years now, since on leaving Asia, thou didst return to Rome ; I did not hope to see thee again in this world, Symmachus. .vhen a happy chance procured for me the pleasure of once more seeing the brilliant " sovereign of the world, Rome, the golden city. " If thou dost think that a happiness, it is because thou art ignorant of many things, " replied Symmachus whose brow darkened again. " " It is true, said Lactantius, who also grew sad. " I only arrived yesterday and yet of hew many sad things have I heard ! But what moved mo lo the depths of soul my was the death of the noble Sophronia. I knew her in Nicomedia and I admired the loftiness and de- " licacy of her feelings.
1. It was he who so eloquently raised his voice before Damasus and Ambrose in defence of the gods. THREATENING CLOUDS 55
" The death of this woman would have affected me deeply too, if instead of acting as a Christian enthusiast, she had killed herself as a true Roman, reviving anew the courage and coolness of Lucretia. But tell me, Lac- tentius, is it not revolting to think that even the Pre- fect of Rome is not safe in his own home from the pas- sions and tyranny of the Emperor ? And is it not an exe- crable shame that there is not in Rome a second Brutus to take up the bloody poniard from the ground ? These however are not the only misfortunes of our fallen Rome, there are still others which menace her. It is said that Constantine, after having beaten Rufus several times, has completely routed his legions, and is advancing towards us by forced marches, and that his army al- ready treads the soil of Umbria. Will not his be the powerful hand that is to chastise the tyrannical " Em- peror ? Symmachus looked questioningly at Lactantius who
did not reply, and continued : " Look at that group, " pointing to the ^^ T.aocoon, " examine it attentively see ; how the Laocoon, lacerated by the two frightful reptiles, writhes in pain and raises his beseeching eyes towards Olympus ; see how his children, strangled in the cruel coils of the monsters, implore their father whose suffering increases in pro- portion to his powerlessness to help them ; is that not an image of Rome ? of Rome and her people whom Max- entiub and Constantme are crushing and tearing to pieces ? The comparison is imperfect in one point how- ever, the horrible serpents throw themselves together on their unfortunate victims and torture them, while the Emperors tear their prey separately, rivalling each " other, one in cruelty the other in hatred. -n-mt TTW nm
56 VALERIA I i
" No, no, " stop ! cried Lactantius, with an ardour and warmth that did not " escape Symmachus. Stop f you mayst not, thou canst not compare Constantino with " this monster, this serpent who is called Maxentius. " Poor master, thou art too good ! Thou dost not know h:.Ti, " replied Symmachus bitterly. " Thou dost doubtless imagine that he resembles his father Constantine-Chlorus, and thou dost appear to forget that his mother Helen, is a stranger who is said to be of " low origin, and more than that, a Christian. f Lactantius was about to reply, but the Senator, who was passionately excited, did not give him time to do so and in a voice, trembling with sorrow and hatred, con-
tinued :
"Dost thou know that Constantine has dared to M place the odious name of the God of the Christians on the banner of the army ! ! !. . . 0, Rome, Rome ! The Gauls and the Carthaginians did not put thee to shame as this Roman Emperor has done ! Lactantius, if thou hast preserved in thy breast the gushing fountain of the Muses, I implore thee, raise thy voice, let it vibrate for our immortal gods whom thou dost love, against the crucified Jew whom Constantine wishes to place on the " altar of Jupiter.
An expression of profound sorrow passed over the features of the old man. An ardent worshipper of the gods, in days past, he had, as orator and poet, fought against Christianity to the death, and had thus won Diocletian's favour. Suddenly touched by grace and converted, he had since then, with all the eloquence of which he was master and with his poetry, but more especially by his philosophical treatises, valiantly de- fended his new faith and combated paganism, trying THREATENING CLOUDS 57
thus to repair the evil which he reproached himself for having done. What was his grief on finding that his writings for the glory and triumph of idolatry were not yet forgotten, while, on the contrary, his works in de- fence of the Christian religion remained unknown ! He shook his head sadly and sn^ling bitterly replied : "If Jupiter \| cannot shoot forth lightnings to defend his throne, if the sword of Mithras and Apollo's arrow are shattered, how can the style, in the feeble hands of an old man, have the power to save the gods ot Rome " from ruin ? Synmiachus could not reply, and the inopportune arrival of some stangers accompanied by a guide speak- ing very loudly, disturbed their conversation. Vexed by these visitors, and hurt by Lactentius's words ae hastily took leave of his old master and precipitately left the gallery. Sophronia's tragic end had not passed unnoticed how- ever, in Rome ; it had caused deep emotion in the dif- ferent centres of the city, and if the morals of the people did not gain by such an act of virtue, this death was another protest against the baseness and tyranny of Maxentius ; and plebeians and patricians were of one voice to stigmatize the infamous conduct of the Emperor. The prefect of the Chancellor's house, Heraclius. had in his service a set of perfectly trained spies : no corner of Rome escaped the investigation of these emissaries ; consequently he was well informed on all that took ^lace in and around the city, and could better than any one else, keep the Emperor acquainted not only witli the smallest incidents which took place, but even with pub- lic opinion.
A Greek by birth, and once a Christian, priJe unci 58 VALERIA
ambition, as no doubt also fear of suffering and death, had made him deny his faith, and like all apostates, Heraclius had become the implacable enemy and shame- less denunciator of his former brethren. He had even carried his audacity so far as to furtively enter the house of a senator, arms in hand, and take unawares an assem-
bly of Christians who were celebrating the divine office, not fearing to shed innocent blood, the blood of those whose faith he had formerly professed, to satisfy his hatred.
Aradius Rufinus, though a pagan, was just and loyal, and he had then condemned the apostate to exile for trespassing and had sent him to Sardinia, then a deserted and almost uncultivated island. Heraclius's wife, Sabina, was of an ancient patrician family ; he had obtained her hand by his apostasy. This woman used her credit, and by her solicitations obtained her husband's return. His promotion was rapid. A year had hardly passed since his recall from exile, and he was already honoured with the charge of Prefect of the Court of Chancery. A pompous and flattering speech in honour of the Emperor, on the anniversary of his coronation, had at first gained him the sovereign's favour ; at the time the court of chancery had need of some one who knew Greek perfectly on account of the important relations which existed be- tween Rome and the East : Maxentius soon chose his man, and Heraclius left his title of master of eloquence for that of Prefect of the Court of Chancery. His new dignity brought him into frequent communication with the Emperor, whose confidence he won completely by basely flattering his passions, but without neglecting his personal interests however, be it understood. Maxentius listened unconcernedly to the reports .
THREATENING CLOUDS 59
brought to him by the Greek with regard to the feelings of the Romans and the generul impression produced by Sophronia's death. " Well, " replied he ironically while swallowing down a large glass of hot wine, " w^ell, we must certainly take public opinion into consideration. I begin then " he
cooly declared, as if it were a matter of course, " by putting the Prefect of the city under arrest. Write the order im- mediately, and to save appearances, prepare the accu-
sation, and say that it is because. . . because. . . well !
because he has not filled the store-houses of the city . . " " Rufus, told me so. At these words, Heraclius's eyes shone with satanic joy. There was not a man in the world whom he hated more than Rufinus. He had never forgotten that he had suffered exile by his orders, aud he nourished frightful projects of ven^^ance in his heart. Rufinus held a very
high position it therefore difficult and was to reach him ; Heraclius was both too prudent and too cunning not to understand that it was necessary to wait a favourable opportunity, ! and he had waited But the hour had come ; he was at last to gratify his vengeance. His satisfaction was the greater, as just but a few days before, Arcadius, with all the pride of a Roman senator, had repulsed a pretention of the Greek upstart, and had made him feel his contempt by haughty, sarcastic, cutting words. Things were going well for Heraclius therefore, and he
found it difficult to dissimulate his joy under the ap-
pearance of hypocritical astonishment ; as if terrified
by this order, he cried : " Powerful Emperor, thou dost wish to arrest Arcadius- " Rufinus ! the Prefect of Rome ! but. . . " But, yes, " replied the Sovereign coldly, " I arrest 60 VALERIA
the Prefect of Rome, and, if it is my good pleasure, who can prevent me from condemning him to death ? What matter to me if he is the Prefect of the city ! The poppy head of a senator is not better fixed on its stem than that of " the lowest plebeian thistle on his. " However, if thy Divinity will allow me to say a word, I would dare to beg thee not to lay a hand on the Pre- fect until " after the arrival of the legions from the south, perfidiously insinuated the too wily Greek who had al- ready well measured the 'effect of the blow he was about to strike.
" The ! legions " said Maxentius frowning, and be-
coming gloomy, " ! wait for the legions " and his eyes flashed with a savage light that would have put to flight any other than Heraclius. " " Yes, inmiortal Emperor, he replied calmly, " thy clemency has nourished this viper too long already, and thou alone wouldst not see his false and criminal attempts to win the consideration and esteem of the citizens. All means served his purpose. More than once did I tremble with rage when I saw the extent of the power that this ambitious man had succeeded in obtaining to the pre- judice of thine. Now that Constantine is marching against thee, is not Rufinus's rebellion doubly dangerous, if, as thy Divinity very ^^isely thinks, he did not take- the " necessary measures for provisioning the city. " The traitor ! the " infamous wretch ! interrupted Maxentius, " it is true that he was companion in arms to the Gaul. " " Then, how can you doubt, " continued Heraclius " perfidiously, but that we shall find papers in his palace which will compromise him ? For example, a secret cor- respondence by which ..." THREATENING CLOUDS 61
" " Hasten ! without the least delay, exclaimed the " Emperor, write the order of arrestation, and see thy- self that the judges do their duty promptly ; and re- " member that thy head will answer came for all. Without any emotion Heraclius calmly continued : " In this conspiracy, of which there can be no doubt, and of which we must find the proofs, for there must be proofs, Sophronia will necessarily be compromised, and we can affirm that fearing to give witness against her husband, she preferred to kill herself. The Romans will " hear of it through a supplement of the " Acta Diurna, and will soon forget their first impressions. " And when we shall have this correspondence in our possession, wise Emperor, there will be other proceedings to institute, thou canst guess them, accomplices to dis- cover. All those who will be condemned, always after evident proofs-, to protect thy justice, will see their goods confiscated, and these goods will of right go to swell the " imperial treasury. The blow could not have been more cleverly planned. Maxentius, with his heavy brain, had to reflect a short while before he could understand all these pro- jects but ; when he did understand, striking his hands on his knees, he cried out delightedly : " By the club of Hercules ! there cannot be a better blood-hound than thou in the whole empire. Thy plan is excellent, do as thou wilt with Rufinus ; condemn him to the mines, to penal servitude, or to death, it matters little to but me ; confiscs* h goods, and that without delay." " Apropos," continued May .ntius, " dost thou know, Heraclius, that Sophronia was a Christian, and that was the pretext she gave for refusing to obey me ? Do 62 VALERIA
not forget " " to mention this in the Acta, that will suffice to close the mouths of the people with regard to that woman. " Heraclius was in such haste to at last satisfy his de- sire of revenge that he sought some pretext for taking leave of the Emperor, but the latter still retained him. " " Dost thou know, he began again, his face growing dark, " dost thou know that Constantine has discovered a multitude of Christians in his army, it is said, and he has made them his most faithful friends ? And now, as the wild beast in his cage lies in wait for the moment when the guard will open the bars, thus the Nazarenes are watching for the hour when Constantine will appear before Rc) to fly at my throat. But, by Hercules ! I promise thee that they shall first make acquaintance
with ' my club First, I wish and command that Mel- chiad, with all his priests and deacons, be taken in less than eight days. Thou canst do this business better than anyone else. Thou knowest their hiding places, their signs, their secrets, and I am sure that it will be a source of real pleasure to thee to deliver up to death thy former companions in shame, " and Maxentius added
immediately : " When all that is finished, thou shalt have a large " share in the benefits. The Emperor had indeed spoken truly, for the hatred of the apostate against the Church was very great, and he lost no opportunity of instigating Maxentius against it. This order given at the present moment, however, upset his own private plans. Convinced of the futility of the persecution, Heraclius, who knew the invincible strength of Christianity judged the time ill chosen for persecuting it. THREATENING CLOUDS 63
A personal interest however was mingled with this general consideration. Constantine's victories made him foresee that Maxentius's fall was not far off. What would become of him then, of him, the abhorred instru- ment of his crimes and his exactions ?
An idea came into his cunning brain : reconcile him- self with the Church, feign repentance, and give the Christians a proof of his sincerity by obtaining an edict from Maxentius in their favour. But how lead the im- perial wild beast to issue such an edict ? Heraclius did not despair of succeeding. That very morning, he had prepared a rough draft of an etlict which was to render to the Christians their churches and cemeteries that Diocletian had confiscated, but the Emperor's new mood ruined his hopes. However, the Greek, as cunning as he was perfidious, did not so easily give up his prey. In a few minutes he had invented a new expedient of escaping from the office of persecutor which he judged to be very dangerous. He took good care not to contradict the Emperor, or make any objection, that would have been adding fuel fire, to thus he contented himself by replying : " My powerful Sovereign, for a long time past, have I been seeking a means of punishing these infamous^ Christians and I think I have found one. Thou knowest that the long persecutions of Diocletian, after so many others, only served to inflame their fanaticism and in- crease their numbers. Do not then oppose the miry torrent, dam it up and let it loose itself in the sands of " the desert. " To all the disciples of the Crucified, whoever they may be, forbid all connection in public and civil life with the true Roman people, that is to say with those 64 VALERIA
who fear and adore our immortal gods ; place thy image in all the schools and conunand that each day, before beginning class, masters anrl pupils offer incense to it ; let the priests go to the market every morning and sprinkle the fruits, the vegetables and in fact all eatables with lustral water ; order that all merchants, from the greatest to the least, place statues of the gods in their shops, bo- fore which the buyers must bow down ; declare that marriages, contracts, agreements, be null without the sacrifices that ; no plaintif will be allowed to enter court unless he has first respectfully invoked the gods. By such means, and others like them, thou wilt exclude the
Christians from instruction, commerce, industries, all rights, all relations, and before )ne generation ha.s passed " away. . . A tremendous yawn and a coarse exclamation interrupt- ed Heraclius. " Let others use such means, as slow as they are tedious, very " " well ! shouted the tyrant, as for me, I seize by the throat those whom I wish to strangle and all is soon over. . . A Greek, naturally, even though he should bear the name of Heraclius, uses slower means and poi- sons, " added the Emperor with a loud contemptuous laugh " ; "for me, I repeat, he continued with insensate violence and striking his fist on the table, " for me, I will cut off the seven heads of this hydra of Lerna, and if thou wilt not be the burning brand that I will force down its throat to prevent its heads from springing up " again, so let it be ! I shall Imd another. Heraclius, whom this blustering tirade had deeply mortified, lost nothing of his coolness however. He had expected to see his propositions rejected ; but he had a second plan which he himself preferred. "
THREATENING CLOUDS 66
'* Thy Divinity knows, " replied he, " whether I obey
' thy orders without delay ; sten to me for u few minutes more, most clement Emperor. No one can deny that the wise and learned Diocletian made some mistakes ; the most unfortunate was the confiscating of the meeting places of the Christians ; he thus deprived himself of the traps in which he might have caught his game. " Render their churches and cemeteries to the disciples of the abominable Galilean, let them freely hold their m(3eting8 there, and wait patiently for one of their feasts ; on that day, the whole crowd, with the bishop, priests and deacons at their head, will throw themselves into the net that thy wisdom shall have so cleverly spread for them. For that matter, towards the middle of next month, they will solemnly ffite the memory of Cecilia, near her tomb on the Appian way. Send thy PrsBtorian guards and Hercules against them then, and the chiefs of this execrable race and their adepts will disappear for " ever. " " By Jupiter ! said the Emperor," I think the demons of Tartarus inspire thee. What a singular proposition !
I must acknowledge that there is something alluring in it."
However, after a few minutes of reflection, he added : " But will not these dogs of Christians say that I gave them back their cemetery through fear of Constantine, And will they not bark more audaciously, more boldly than ever ? " " What will their barking be before thy great power ? replied Heraclius. " If thou desirest the triumph of our thoti gods, must treat their greatest enemies like dogs ; whilst with one hand thou dost throw them a bone, with the other thou must use the whip and strike with re- 5 66 VALERIA
doubled blows, neither counting n(»r choosing their " number ; then they will crouch lieforc thee !
" I shall think it over, " said Maxentius simply.
Then he continued in a low tone : " Diocletian ! Diocletian ! Oh ! })e was not a Her-
cules ! He made the beast return to its den instead of strangling it, and he preferred cultivating his cabbages " to following the beast. Heraclius was very well satisfied however ; these " " simple words of Maxentius : I shall ftiuik it over, rfhowed him how far his diabolical plan pleased the Em- peror.
It was necessary to strike the iron while it was hot. " " Give the order without delay, jmav( rful Emperor, he cried, " and the edict shall immetliuu'ly jro forth from
thy Chancellor's office. If thou do8( publisij il I-cfore the anniversary of thy coronation, thou f^halt sro 'he jrate-
ful enthusiasm of the Christians and how t[ >y will ex- " press their sincere devotion.
Heraclius having gained his object, thought it wiser to diveit the Emperor's thoughts from these different plans, and to hasten to interest him in the building of the temple and the circus which was a passion with Maxentius. Heraclius was born in Athens, the city of art and letters. He was naturally eloquent and had exquisite taste, and these talents even more than his crafty poli- tical ability made him invaluable to the vulgar Maxentius. The moment was well chosen for dazzling his ignorant ma.ster. Heraclius talked to him of his projects, and even persuaded him to remove some of the finost statues from the Pantheon to the new temple, and accompanied all his propositions with so much elegant flattery, that. THREATENINO CLOUDS ez
thf crowiHHl soldier surrendered himself more than ever to the inttuence of his favourite. To thew plans, which he displayed and which he Haw with complacency were approve
i^< i ! - .hese difficulties were only child's play to the 'ira: .!/•-, ;ciius.
CHAPTER lY
" THE CATACCIIBS
qrN the year 250, the Pope Fabian had divided Rome '<' into seven ecclesiastical divisions and placed at the head of each a deacon, who to his other functions added the superintendence of the cemeteries situated in his division. The Coelimontium .where Rufinus's palace stood, belonged to the second division and had its tombs on the Appian and Latin ways. Sophronia had not been baptized, but during her last moments she had proclaimed aloud that she died as a Christian. If in all ordinarj circumstances religious burial IS denied to suicides, the motive which led her to give herself the death-blow rather than to fail in her duty did not allow of the brave woman being deprived of the blessing of the Church ; and not one dissentient voice was heard when Miltiades asked that the noble patrician should be interred with all the ceremonies of the Church. Valeria chose the catacombs situated on the Appian way for her mother ; they were, by a great privilege, under the special superintendence of the Pope himself, and bore the name of Saint-Calixtus. In ancient Rome, funerals always took place at night. According to the prudent arrangements made by Irene, the mortal remains of Sophronia were to be removed in silence and without any pomp, which, however, did not 70 VALERIA
prevent their being escorted by a great number of poor, maimed and old, all the prot^^s of the Prefect's wife, and who had gathered in the atrium. They desired to give a last proof of their love and gratitude to her who had been so good to them.
Irene, accompanied by t vvo slaves, came and distributed abundant alms among t'.iem in the name of Rufinus and his daughter. Among the crowd was Rustica, the wife of a fossore, or grave-'iigger of the church of the transti- berian quarter, who had become a mother only a few days before she coo ; had come witli her bal)e and her old blind mother to show once more how grateful she was to her benefactress ; and when Irene gently reproach- ed her for thu^. exposing two frail lives, the young woman
replied : " We co'ild not rest in the house, we felt that we must come once more to kiss the hand that had so often suc- " coured us.
The two poor Roman women were then taken to the deaii chamber, and nothing was more touching than t'j see the young mother, with her little one in her arms And her old mother beside her, kneeling by the bier of her who had been an angel of charity to them, and, in the midst of sobs, expressing their love and gratitude. How often, under the coarse guise of poverty, do we not meet with precious pearls of the noblest feelings ! Rustica gave a proof of this. As disinterested as she was delicate, it was with great reluctance that she accepted a soft, silky shawl from Valeria to protect herself and child from the cold and damps of the night. The hour for the funeral having arrived, Rufinus and his daughter approached their beloved dead once more and with tears gave her a last kiss. IN THE CATACOMBS 71
According to custom, they covered the body with a rich, precious pall of Syrian purple, the face being left uncovered. She was then placed on a litter to be carried to her last resting place. After the priests had devoutly said the prayers of the Church, the cortego ntarted, lighted by the torches earned by the slaves attached to the Prefect's house The only ones who followed were Rufinus and his daughter ' Irene and some of the servants, Although it was late iu the night, groups of persons standmg silent and recollected before the neighbouring houses and palaces, told sufficiently of the sympathy felt and the impression made; but no one dared to say a word o.- condolence so great was tiie fear of the imperial spies ,/.o were everj-where and whose presence was well known. On descending the Coehmontium hill, the cortege met a group of young men coming out of one of the ill-famed taverns of the quarter half ; drunk after their orgy and ready to mix themselves up in any nocturnal disturbance or even to provoke one, the excited group rushed toward^ the poor looking funeral cortege. At :he head of the group was a young man whom we shall soon meet again • the son of the Prefect to the imperial great seal "By " Bacchus ! he cried to his companions, <' the dead have no need to see to find their way underground • """'* '''' ^"^ ^^'^ ^"^ '"''"^"^^ *^^ ^^^"^•^"' TelesTlla"^^ ^
Loud shouts of laughter greeted these unseemly ill- timed words, and all tried to seize the torches the slaves were carrying, when a tall man of Herculan strength placed himself before the leader of the group, and lettLg his hands fall with all their weight on he shoulders of * *-<.-;.* S*BKi. J '^ ".'i-at-X'.^
72 VALERIA
the libertine said in a voice trembling with anger :
' " Stop, stop, miserable wretch ! It is the Prefect of the city is who accompanying his wife to her last home ; stop, I tell thee, and cease troubling this sad proces- " sion ! These words, the deep feeling ^^ith which they were pronounced, the remembrance of Sophronia's heroic end, the position of him who led the cortege, all together, we must believe, made a salutary impression on the young men who retired precipitately and in confusion, while the leader, more confused than the others, stammered some words of excuse. The funeral cortege then traversed the baths of Cara- calla, and, without further incident arrived before the Appian gate, now called the gate of Saint-Sebastian. There, a crowd of Christians, composed mostly of the poor, waited to escort the body as far as the catacombs of Saint-Calixtus.
It was a splendid night ; myriads of stars shone in
the pure tranquil sky ; a profound peace and sad silence reigned over all nature, even the leaves of the trees seemed to restrain their gentle rustling so as not to trou- ble the intense quiet or disturb the recollection of the
faithful ; the superb monuments which bordered the way, while displaying their vain magnificence, seemed, more than ever, to remind poor mortals of their end and
to cry out that notwithstanding all the ostentation, all the luxury, all the opulence with which they surrounded themselves, notwithstanding the pleasures with which they gratified and even intoxicated themselves, soon nothing remained of them but ashes and corruption : a terrible end, an odious perspective for those whose hopes
do not go beyond the tomb ! IN THE CATACOMBS 73
The clergy who headed the procession had intoned the psalms in a low voice. Who can tell how many times during the past centuries these pious songs had resounded along the Appian way, particularly during the silence of the night, while the Christians, with so much respect and at the risk of their lives, accompanied the glorious remains of the confessors of the Faith who had fallen in the amphitheatre. But happier times were coming, when the shepherds of the Alban and Sabine hills or the pilgrims from Etruria and Campania also would go along this way, and, to the loud singing of holy hymns, venerate the tombs of innumerable martyrs and celebrate the triumph of Christianity over the world. When the pompous marble monuments of the pagan cemeteries, with their absurdly vain epitaphs of vain glory, shall have long been but shapeless ruins, buried in the soil and hidden under the thick grass, when all these proud tombs shall have become but heaps of rubbish, then, from the most distant countries, from lands which Roman soldiers never trod, pious and fer- vent pilgrims will come to go over this Appian way, to pray at the tombs of our valiant Martyrs in one only faith, one only hope and one only charity ! But while the funeral cortege is wending its way to the catacombs, let us go to the house of the imperial Chancellor ; we shall there find the perfidious Heraclius occupied in seeing the false letters composed which were to prove the Prefect's culpability, while a warrant had already been issued to search his house. The funeral cortege had scarcely left the palace of Rufinus, when an officer of justice, accompanied by his men, entered in the name of the Emperor, whose warrant he produced, seized the letters, papers, and even the 74 VALERIA
official keys of the prefecture. All were taken to Hera- clius antl we can well fancy how closely they were examined by him. His hopes were not altogether deluded : among the letters he found some from the commander of Cons- tantine's troops, but none could give the slightest ground for accusation ; they were, however, of great use to the perfidious Greek who could now have forged letters as the writing could be copied. Time pressed, and he was obliged to increase the number of his clerks by three ; all weic occupied writing under Heraclius' direction for he was clever enough to dictate several letters, at one and the same time, though their contents and style were altogether different. Thus was the correspondence between the commander of Cons- tantine's army and Rufinus forged ; as for Constan- tine's writing which Heraclius wished should figure in these false papers, it was not difficult to find it in the archives among the letters written to Maxentius on different occasions. The exceptores (clerks), practised in the art of imitating strange writing, soon finished their work, and, in the momentary absence of their chief, talked among them- selves. " " Is it not revolting, said one, " to be obliged to twist the rope that our master wishes to put round Ru- " finus' neck ?
" ! '' " By Diana replied another, is that any business of ours ? Are we anything else than tools in his hands ? He treats us well, pays us handsomely, the rest troubles " me very little. " " Certainly, said a third, " we could not wish for a better master if ; he is so exacting and severe about our doing our duty, is he not himself our model ? He IN THE CATACOMBS 75
works without " ceasing from morning . to night ; but. . But, " interrupted the second, " is not Heraclius himself only a tool in the hands of the B:mperor? It is not " his fault if Maxentius is not a Titus or a Trajan. The appearance of the Prefect put an end to their conversation he ; examined the letters the clerks pre- sented to him, and compared them with the writing of those that had served as models ; the work was well done, and he expressed his satisfaction in a friendly manner, reminded the men that their oath obliged them to eternal silence, and then sent them away, after having prudently recalled to their memories the punishment to which the slightest indiscretion on their part would expose them. Let us leave Heraclius and allow him to give himself up unrestrainedly to the joy of at last pos- sessing the arms with which he was to deal his enemy his deathblow, and by his wishes to hasten the morning of the morrow to obtain a sentence from the judges, and let us return to the ceremonies attendant on So- phronia's funeral.
The proper entrance into the catacombs of Saint-Ca- lixtus was quite near to the Appian way, beside a mon- ument of the Cornelius Christians, between two rery large cypress trees. The ruins of this monument are still to be seen. Not far from these ruins, is the old stair- case which led to the galleries of the tombs ; but after the ground, under which the catacombs are, had been confiscated by Diocletian, the Christians had made ano- ther opening hidden under the small trees and bushes a ; narrow path first led to the sand pits which supplied the material for the preparation of the mortar, and then the catacombs were reached by a pa.ssage which had been excavated by the fossorea. 76 VALERIA
Minsius, the fossore of the Traiistiberian quarter and overseer of these catacombs, with his assistants, awaited Sophronia's body.
The opening which was too small would not allow of the litter being carried in ; Rufinus therefore took the precious burden in his arms, and, helped by Minsius, carried it down into the depths of the underground. After having, with difficulty, crossed the beds of sand, they traversed the interminable galleries of the under- ground town, and at last arrived at the Cuhimlum or tomb in which the noble Roman was to repose until her glorious resurrection.
There, amidst his priests and deacons, Miltiades, in pontifical robes, wishing to preside at the funeral cere- monies himself, awaited the airival of the corpse. ^ For her darling mother, Valeria had an arcosolium or vaulted tomb excavated at the end of the chapel. The work was just barely ended, and on one side a large marble slab, intended to close the opening of the tomb, was resting against the wall. During, the recitation of the prayers, the fossores had placed the body in the exca- vation which was shaped like a coflSn, and over the corpse Valeria sprinkled precious perfumes which filled the chapel with a sweet odour. Rufinus had assisted quietly at the ceremony though deeply affected by all : the solemn procession on the Appian way, the chanting of the Psalms which echoed along the underground vaults, and above all the recol- lection and piety of the Christians who attended the funeral, made a vivid and lasting impression on him. It was with keen regret that he saw himself excluded from the society of the Christians at the moment when the ceremonies of our holy liturgy began. What were IN THE CATACOMBS 77
not his feelings of sorrow when leaving the remains of his virtuous wife, and how much more poignant they must have grown when he saw the great abyss which separated him from her and his beloved child ! In his grief, he tried to invoke his gods, but these di- vinities remained deaf; could the demons find access into this blessed place where the precious relics of so many glorious martyrs reposed ? In the obscurity and silence of this world of the dead, the prefect felt as though a bandage were being gradually removed from his eyes, and he seemed to see in the dim distance light glimpses of the truth. The Bishop, Miltiadcs, had charged Severinus one of his deacons, to show Rufinus the tombs of the most cel- ebrated martyrs, or, if he preferred it, to take him up out of the catacombs ; but the Prefect chose rather to remain, and his conductor, without seeming to do so purposely, di.octed the visitor's attention to the epitaphs that were most calculated to teach him that everything does not end with this Hfe, and that it is this conviction, his certitude of endless, limitless happiness, which gives Christians strength to support their sufferings, and to martyrs their admirable constancy under torments. The Prefect was deeply impressed ^^ on reading these : * To Cynacus, a holy woman , she was a dove without any guile. " May she rest in peace I " Jovina left what was earthly to enter into peace." " Clau.iiui " " — Uv(-s in eternity. — May the soul, of Syivaiiu:! rest in " " peace ! Amen. — Sweet soul, thou dost repose in the peace of the Lord ! Januaria, may be God thy consoli Lion and refreshment. Pray to Him for us '-- ' ,"ir ! Aii hopes of peace and eternal life are founded on Jek, s Chkist, Our Lord ! " And 78 VALERIA on the tablet closing the tomb where peveral were buried " he read in Greek : The Christians who believed in " God and the CdRiST. A great number of these epitaphs, graven on stone and marble, were incorrect and uad been traced by alto- gether unskilful hands ; they clearly proved that the belief in the next lif( was common to all Christians ; it was nut the privilege only of the priests, the learned and the rich, but also of the poor, the simple and the ignorant. Some tombs were ornamented with allegorical paint-
ings ; Severinus explained their meaning as well as he
could ; but if Rufinus could not quite understand all the deacon's explanations, he understood enough to know that thepe paintings and epitaphs expressed the same faith, the same hope. Even the little symbolical lamps placed silently beside the dead and recalling to mind eternal life, brought light to his mind that was unknown before. Never had the cold jingan tombs inspired in him the
slightest emotion ; he hud never felt what he did at the
present momen ; those tombs had their inscriptions " " too, but the mscriptions : — Adieu for ever ! — " " We shall ever remember you ! give not the slightest hope of meeting again ; none made any allusion to the
future life ; their funeral paintings were but profane allegories, lamps were placed there also but they were only for the night-watches and to make them look less dismal. Rufinus felt all this better than he could have expressed it, and, without being aware of it, he began to believe in eternal life, in the communion of the living and the dead, and the consoling reunion beyond the tomb, of which faith assures us. IN THE CATACOMBS 79
The Prefect continued his visit with ever increasing interest. (Jreat intlocd was his surfirise when he saw, on some of the tombs, the names of porsonH he had very well known his ; astonishment was the greater as lie had never suspected that they were Christians ; but he was obliged to acknowledne that they were those whom he had most esteemed because of their noble sentiments and the probity of their lives. There were names of senators, of men of high standing in the ai-my, and of those who traced their descent from tlie most ancient Roman no- bility. From time to timo, the Deacon and the Prefect ap- proaclipdthe cubiculum^ where Sophronia had been laid, and heard in the distance the voices of the Christians, the Bishop, the priest and the deacons chanting the prayers, alternately, around the tomb. These chants, reverberating along the narrow passages, impressed Ru- finus deeply and attracted him more powerful' v towards those who prayed thus, and at the same time inspired him with the desire to unite his voice with theirs in prayer, and mingle his hope with that of these fervent Chris- tians. When the ceremony was over, the Prefect was led back to where the mortal remains of his dear wife were, to say a last good bye before the fossores secured the marble slab that was to close the vault. During this time, Valeria was absorbed in the thought of her father's soul. all With the ardour of her filial love, and all the strength of her live'y faith, she had
1. The Vault waa called cubiculum ; the tomb itself the loculuo that 18 to say " httle " place ; where the tomb was placed in a niche It was called arcosolium. Light and air entered by smaU openings made in the vault.
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80 VALERIA
prayed the Divine Master to penetrate this beloved soul had, with the Ught of eternal truth. While praying, she the catacombs and in thought, followed him through ; and pressed now, as he leaned over his cherished wife kneeling his quivering lips to her cold hands, Valeria, heard these beside him, trembled with emotion when she words, the sweetest she could hear, fall from his lips : " Oh, Sophronia, my dearest wife, may thy God soon be mine 1 the As soon as Rufinus moved away the fossores placed to custom. slab over the tomb and cemented it according new The blessed earth of the catacombs had received life in a glorious seed that was to spring up to everlasting resurrection. There had not been sufficient time to engrave the Rufinus was pained at inscription on the tombstone ; fossores finished this and remedied it himself. While the an iron point their sad task, he took one of their tools with and engraved the following epitaph : "Sophronia dulcis, semper vives Deo!" ! ^' Sweet Sophronia, thou shalt live for ever in God words No doubt the Prefect only repeated the signs and wife, he had seen on the tombs and applied them to his letter to him these but they were no longer a dead ; had sub- words which, through some mysterious power, feelings. He jugated him, were the expression of his new " shalt live in understood what he had written : Thou God, " and the germ of faith, faith in God, faith m life consolation and a eternal, filled his heart with ineffable Silent tears flowed joy he had never before experienced. his emotion, he down his cheeks and, carried away by " Sophronia, thou added under the inscription : Yes, fihalt live 1 IN THE CATACOMBS 81
Since that time, hordes of barbarians have passed and repassed through the eternal city; they devastated, sacked and destroyed all that was most worthy of love and respect the ; tombs themselves were not spared ; many inscriptions have disappeared, but the words en- graved on the wall by Rufinus oxist even to this day ; they are there and tell of the victories and consolation of a soul that has triumphed in the combats between nature and grace, and which has passed from the dark night of incredulity to the bright light of faith. Valeria remained beside her father while he engraved the epitaph on her mother's tomb, and as each word, appeared, her emotion increased. Her heart was filled with happiness, and tears of joy fell from her eyes she ; thanked God and her mother, for her tenderly loved father had already felt the first touches of divine grace. Sophronia's prayers before the throne of God had already begun to produce fruit. The fossores had finished their work ; before leaving the cubiculum, the bishop, priests and Christians once more approached the tomb to salute the dead in the customary " " manner : Vade in peace ! They then left the catacombs. The sun had begun to appear behind the hills and its bright rays gilded the soft, fleecy clouds in the east. The orb of day continued its course, which had been traced by the hand of Him who had created it by a word, it shone on the wicked as well as the good,on the sumptuous palaces of the great city as well as the humblest homes of the poor, on the superb, public edifices where worldly joys and deceitful pleasures reigned as well as the dark tombs where all passions and strife, all pleasures and 6 .
82 VALERIA
sufferings, all love and hatred, lay buried in an eternal
silenee !
Rufinus had not left the Christians ; he walked close beside Meltiades. An imploring look from the young girl had made the bishop begin a conversation with the Prefect who had appeared to be completely absorbed in deep thought. The time was short, but the prelate employed it to good purpose and spoke to Rufinus of the principal dogmas of Christianity, and explained the fundamental truths of our holy religion, as to a catechu- men. In Rufinus, Meltiades had a pupil who was as docile as he was intelligent ; but the cause was not yet completely won, at the moment of parting when the bishop expressed the hope of soon tracing the sign of the cross on his forehead and receiving him among the number of catechumens, the Prefect drew back, alleging the difl&culties of his high position and the impossibility of an oflScial rupture with the religion of the state at that moment. It sufficed for him, he said, to first venerate the God of the Christians in his heart, until his duties, and better times allowed him to do more. Meltiades, who was pained, did not insist further, but he did not lose confidence. He trusted much to Valeria's influence, though a sad presentiment made him fear that the young girl would not have much time to gently lead her father into the pale of the Church, The holy old man's fears were but too well foimded. . God was about to tou.h the Prefect's heart by means which were more painful, but not less efficacious.
Not far from the Palatine, Valeria took If of her father, and acompanied Irene across the Emilien bridge to the Transtiberian quarter. The two women, in their thoughtful charity, found it necessary to go and assure IN THiJ CATACOMBS i^
themselves that good Rustica, her old mother and the baby had not suffered by going out in the middle of the damp, cold night. Rufinus returned to his palace, and his surprise can be imagined when, on arriving at the door, his Vtvareus (doorkeeper) apprised him of the perquisition of the house which had just taken place. He understood only too well the motive of this proceeding and the conse- quences that would follow. Maxentius being in need of money, had determined to ruin him and secure his wealth ; but he had not had much time to think this over, when the tramp of soldiers and the clashing of their arms were heard in the atrium, and immediately after the emissaries of the Emperor entered the Prefect's room. At this moment all emotion disappeared, to give place to the noble pride of the Roman patrician, to the feeling of dignity which was heightened by the remembrance of his saintly wife's heroic death ; with contemptuous intrepidity he said to the chief of the Emperor's mes-
sengers : " I know very well why you are here ; I will follow you without resisting, but I will not allow you to put me in irons. Know that the Senator, Arcadius Rufinus, the Prefect of Rome, will not tolerate the manacles be- fore he has appeared at the tribunal ! " I have orders, however, to take you bound to the Mamertine prison, " replied the chief somewhat em- " barrassed but since you promise to follow, I shall not " employ force. The distance to be traversed was somev.'hat long ; it was necessarj- to pass before the Coliseum, up the Via sacra, by the arch of triumph of Titus and the Forum. Although it was still very early, this strange cortege
I mm
84 VALERIA
could not but attract attention. By degrees people gathered along the route. The gloomy look of the crowd, and the strange silence which reigned, showed clearly enough the sympathy of the people for the Prefect and the feeling
of rebellion that this brutal act had excited ; but fear of the tyrant's spies and of the tyrant himself rendered the most courageous, mute. They knew only too well that on such occasions a simple sign of disapproval might have to be paid for with their lives. The Praetor and his officials already awaited the noble prisoner in the court of the pretorium of the Ma- mertine prison. Heraclius was there also, under the pre- tence that, as Prefect of the imperial Chancellor's office, he had not only to examine the writing of the confiscated papers, but in reality to watch the proceeding awe of the judges by his presence. An unholy joy shone in his eyes as the Prefect entered surrounded by the imperial guards. After the customary questions, the examination turned on the correspondance of the accused with Constantine and several of his generals. Rufinus replied to all with noble frankness. He did not deny that he was still closely united to them by the bonds of an old friendship. Several letteiiS, said to have been found among his confiscated
paper were then presented ; Heraclius examined the writing carefully and declared them authentic. The Praetor then ordered these letters, — forged as
we know, — to be read aloud . They were most compro- mising to the Prefect of the city who indignantly denied receiving them. Then looking searchingly at Heraclius he
said slowly and sternly in a voice of perfect conviction : " The Prefect of the imperial Chancellor's office could, let if he wished, the judges know who forged these letters ; ;
IN THE CATACOMBS 85
he could also tell them how they came to be found among " my confiscated papers. Notwithstanding his villany the calumniator could not bear Rufinus' look and his joy was momentarily marreH • he soon regained his self-possession however and, wi^a apparent calm, asked the Praetor to kindly make a no- tary take down Rufinus' declaration. He then added : " As a servant of the divine Emperor, I am above being affected by a shaft thrown by the hand^ of a traitor the prisoner's words serv,! but to convict himself of " his crime. The Praetor, influenced by the crafty, hypocritical Heraclius, without giving Rufinus time to reply, pro- nounced this iniquitous sentence. " The Prefect of the city is arrested : 1st, because of communicating with the enemies of the state, a crime which is proved by letters found in his possession; 2nd, because of insults offered to the representative of the most powerful and most noble Emperor. " According to justice, this decision should have been submitted to the supreme court, which alone had the right to condemn for the crime of high treason ; but there was no question of this. The jailer and his men were about to lay hands on the Prefect, when proudly drawing himself up io his full height, he said in a tone of supreme authority which made them draw back : " Stop, I have something more to say. " He then addressed the " Praetor : Thou knowest as well ss I do that the Emperor has decreed my death, and that his will is the only law which condemns me ; thou mightest then have avoided the forging of these letters. I must die because I am wealthy, because, and for this more 86 VALERIA
than any other reason, tlie virtue of my noble wife was too much above the perverseness of the tyrant, — Worthy of 8uch a wife, I shall go to death without any fear ; but let Heraclius transmit to his lord the last words of his companion in arms ; let him tell the tyrant from me, that crimes cannot uphold thrones ; let him beware ! because he with criminal pride, spurns both humai and " divine rights, his feet will slip ! Heraclius and the Praetor whom the Prefect's words had exasperated, made a sign to the guards to remove him, but Rufinus stopped them with a look and impe- rious gesture. " " Let me finish, he said to them, then with his right hand raised to heaven and his eyes uplifted he calmly continued : " Yes, the sighs of the widows, the tears of the orphans, the indigence into which Maxentius has plunged those whom he has despoiled and exiled, the moaning c the poor, harassed, crushed people cry vtngeance against the parricidal usurper, and no Praetor will be able to protect him against that vengeance ; his end will be misery, shame, contempt. " And thou Heraclius, as also all you vile, base souls, who pander to the tyrant's vices, your hour is nigh ; soon the most terrible and richly merited chastisement " will overtake and mercilessly crush you. In a paroxysm of rage, Heraclius cried : " Praetor, guards, how can you longer support this odious, criminal language ? Seize the traitor, bind him, and throw him into the deepest, darkest oubliette^
1. A dungeon with an opening only at the top 'or the admis- sion of air, used for persons condemnct^ to the perpetual impri- sonment or to perish secretly, and existing in some old buildings. "
IN THE CATACOMBS 87
Thei turning to the notary : "Have you written all that this miserable wretch has said ? The smallest part of it alone would suffice " to condemn him lawfully to death. The jailer and his worthy aids liad brutally seized Rufinus, who made not the slightest resistance, and after having handcuffed him with heavy irons and a chain, mercilessly dragged away the unfortunate captive. Heraclius, agitated and mad with anger, hurried home. His vengeance was fully satisfied ; his cleverly con- certed plans had succeeded even beyond his hopes, his enemy was condemned to death, a cruel, shameful death, what more could he tlesire ? Nothing surely. And yet, far from feeling the satis- faction he had so counted on, the stern menace of him whom he had crushed with all the weight of his hatred rose before him like a hideous phantom. — In vain did he try to persuade himself that the Prefect's death had already been determined on by the Emperor himself ; in vain did he tell himself that the threats pronounced by such a man at such a moment were harmless ; in vain did he hasten to get away from the scene of this horrible drama in vain ; did he try to occupy his mind and his imagination with what pleased and flattered him ; all his efforts were unsuccessful. That strange, horrible spectre hovered, over and around him ever more menacing, and though he endeavoured not to listen, these words constantly rang in his ears : "Your hour is nigh ; soon the most terrible and richly merited chastisement will overtake and mercilessly crush you !
CHAPTER Y
THE VICTOHV
^FTER leaving her father, Valeria went towant the ^^ town accompanied by Irene ; the latter too had noticed with unmxed pleasure, the change in Rufmus, and the two women sought together a means of pro- tecting this 81 ill feeble germ of faith from the blight of a worldly life and the absorbing business of state. They asked themselves how they could make it grow, slowly but surely. While thus exchanging their thoughts, the matron and her companion arrived rt the Emelian bridge, where they perceived a large ship that had cast anchor at the foot of the Aventine it ; brought the wheat that was so anxiously expected by the Prefect, glad news that they wer.^ happy to be able to take him. They hurried their steps and soon found themselves in the centre of the Transtiberian quarter which was then, as it is to-day, inhabited by the poor. Very few patricians, if any, would have ventured into the streets, which were ps dark as they were narrow, still less would the noble Roman ladies have done so but ; true charity does not hesitate, and that is why the miserable residents, accustomed to the charity of oui two Christians, were not surprised to meet them. And with what respect and love did they
salute them ! The fossore Mincius lived in this quarter with his mother, hi3 wife and child. Rustica knew how to hide the poverty of their little home by order and cleanliness and that « -90 II VALKRIA
ex(iuisi(o tastp which makes one lovt> simphcity. Flowers adorned tlie narrow windows, and the sun's rays passing through tljeni brightened the .iiodest interior. Wlien visitors entered, the old mother was spirming so swiftly,
that on seeing her, no one would have thought her l)lin(l. Mineius' young wife, seated befon* a large weaving frame threw lier shuttle l)aekwards and forwarrls across the threads stretched on the frame. Heside her. lay a lK>auti- ful child in a cradle. " " What ! already at work ? cried Irene, in an affec- tionate tone of reproach, addressing Rustica ; "hut this work is too hard for you you are " ; imprudent. " I have been idle for four long (hiys, " replied the " young woman smiling, must I not make up for lost time ? When I feel tirecJ I look at my child in his cradle, and my delighted thoughts fly to the crib at Bethlehem, wiiere the Infant CIod reposed. Oh ! how sweet work then " becomes to me !
And, leaving lier shuttle, Rustica looked with inefTable tenderness at her sleeping babe. " I have in .spirit, placed my first-born at the foot of the crib, " she continued, her eyes fixed on her treasure ; " I have prayed to the sweet Virgin Mary sometimes to cast a glp :e at my son. This glance will be imprinted like a seal on his young heart ; and the faithful Joseph who watched over the Divine Child will also stretchout " his blessed hand to protect mine. Mincius entering inopportunely, interrupted the touch- ing scene. His brow was clouded and he grew pale and •'^rew back when he perceived the visitors. Immediately recovering himself however, he said, though not without embarrassment and hesitation, that he thought the Prefect wanted them as quickly as possible. THE VICTOHY 91
" " My father ! cried Valeria, pale as death, " imt we left him scarcely half uii hour a^o ut the Pttlatine ! speak, I hog of you, Mincius, what has iiappened ? " " Noble lady, " replied the fossore, evadiiiK the q. s- " tion, excuse me for huviriR friRli^ened you j I Imve just met one of your slaves who hurriedlv asked me if I knew wl.ore you were to im found ; that' is why I ron- clude K > n anxiety took poswssion of th mg girl ; Irene was by no means reassured. They liastened to take leave of the humble family jind hurriclly took their way to the palace. Mincius followed them with anxious tearful eyes. " Noble girl, " he " cried at last, may heaven grant you strength to carry this cruel cross ; your young shouldei-s are still so bruise(i by the one you have been carrymg ! It is " true that sorrows never come singly. On his return from his work in the catacombs, the fossore had to pass by the Farum ; it was there that he had seen Rufinus, the Prefect of the town, led by the guards to the Mai -tine prison ; his weeping slaves were seeking every ere for their young mistress. How can we describe Valeria's feelings, her profound sorrow when, on entering the palace, she heard of the dreadful events of which it had been the scene. Cold as marble, she would have sunk to the ground if Irene had not been beside her and caught her in her arms. In her own deep faith and tender affection, Irene found strong yet comforting words, such as only a Christian mother could find to sustain her child. It was difficult however to reanimate Valeria's courage, for she knew but too well, poor child ! that to be thrown into the 92 VALERIA Mamertine prison by Maxentius meant to be condemned to death. It was but yesterday that she had lost her mother, and to-day the father was torn from her, under the most painful circumstances ; could her poor heart be more cruelly tried ? Could she survive so much suf- fering ? " Yes, " murmured her faithful friend gently in her ears, " yes, for God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb and with the cross gives the grace necessary to bear it. At the crucial moment, in his infinite tenderness, He bends his heart over each wound and applies to it a balm which He chooses with god-like skill in behalf of the privileged ones wliom He has touched with His cross, the sceptre of mercy. A terrible doubt added to the tortures of Valeria's loving, filial heart. Would Rufinus die without becoming a Christian ? He had just taken the first step after a resistance several years ; would death cut him off before he had fully entered on the path that leads to salvation ? Divine love imited to filial love soon filled the young Roman girl's heart with hope and an indomitable energy ; she would save her father, she would save his soul, cost what it would ! It was her Lord and her God Who inspired her with this determined resolution ; it was the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the afflicted, she who is strong as an army arrayed for battle, who would com- bat for her. Irene advised Valeria to bribe the guards and enter the prison ; but it was in vain that she displayed gold before their covetous eyes ; they were too terrified by Heraclius' menaces, and remained inflexiWe. Touched however by some extraordinary feeling of pity they ^: i THE VICTORY 93 advised the young girl to address herself to Heraclius the Grand Chancellor. "If you obtain his " " permission, said the jailer, I will immediately take you to your father, though it would be preferable for one so young as you, never to penetrate into those " frightful dungeons ! He shook his head, while speaking, and a look of com- passion came into his barbarous face as he watched the poor girl who stood imploringly before him. Irene shudder- ed on hearing the name of Heraclius. She knew how httle was to be expected from this dishonourable, heart- less man. " Dost thou know the Chancellor ? " asked Valeria of the matron. " Yes, unfortunately, " replied " Irene sadly ; I know him only too well. He is none other than the unworthy renegade who, with his apostate companions, wished that the pope, Eusebius, should receive them again into the Church but would not submit to the penance imposed by the holy Canons. Thou knowest how revenge and hatred brought them amongst the Christians who were umted to celebrate the mysteries and how they profaned the holy place and poured out the blood of our brethren. " Valeria hid her face in her hands, then looking up to heaven said : " But did not the Emperor exile him from Rome at the same time as his victim, our Pontiff ? " Yes Maxentius, ; however, knew his man, he had too great a of need him to realize his own shameful plans, for none better than Heraclius would lend himself to them that is why ; pardoning and recalling him, he soon took him into favour and made him secretary. This, however, did not satisfy the insatiable 'ambition of the P4 VALERIA traitor, and, a few months later, he got himself made Prefect. Actually he is the greatest power in Rome, for he rules Maxentius. If this unhappy man had em- ployed his extraordinary intelligence and rare talents in the service of the Church of God, he could have done immense good ! But, alas ! alas ! the thirst for gold and the most shameful passions have taken possession of his heart and cast him at the feet of idols, — at the feet of Maxentius, whom he rivals in baseness and cruelty. His persecutions against the Christians are the more to be dreaded as he hides them so skilfully. In spite of the horror and repugnance, with which such a man could not but inspire her, Valeria determined to attempt this the only means left to her. If Heraclius did really possess the influence over the Emperor that he was credited with, a word from him would suffice to save her unfortunate father ; could she buy this word too dearly ? The poor child asked herself anxiously, however, what chord she could touch to succeed in winning Heraclius' good graces and how she should behave in his presence. But strong in her love, and more still in her unshakened trust in Him Whose infinite goodness equals His power, Valeria hoped against ail hope ; she resolved to spare neither tears nor prayers to soften the renegade's heart. Neither Irene nor Valeria knew however of the deep, implacable hatred he cherished against Rufinus nor did they know that the latter's arrest was the work of the wretch that Valeria wished to move to pity, that it was the fruit of his vengeance. Irene accompanied Valeria to the door which the latter entered resolutely, but not without a glance of supplication towards heaven. The offices of the Chancellor occupied one of the wings U THE VICTORY 95 of the palace of the C»sars which commanded the Aven- tine. " May I speak to the Prefect of the office of the Chan- " cellor, she asked timidly of the ostirius} He eyed his noble visitor from head to foot, and, after some hesitation, shortly replied : " " The master has given orders to let no one pass. " I must speak to him, " said Valeria imploringly " " ; oh ! do let me see the Prefect ? The rough ostiarius shrugged his shoulders but made no reply. He then leaned carelessly back against the wall, and Valeria drawing out her purse took from it some pieces of gold ; at sight of them, the barbarian's eyes brightened and he changed his mind. He eagerly stretched out his hand and the precious metal the young girl offered him soon disappeared under his garments. " You wish to speak to my master, " he muttered, " well, I shall take you, not to him, for that is impossible, but to his son, Sabinius. Try to soften him, for he alone can introduce you to Heraclius' presence just now. " See, he is just passing through the atrium with his friends. The pure, gentle dove advanced towards the group of young libertines whose riotous mirth contrasted sin- gularly with the deep sadness and dignified manner of our heroine. At the sound of her voice, Sabinius lifted his head ini 1. The doors of the palaces were guarded by a porter or ostia- rius, armed with a rod his ; severe orders generally softened under- the influence of a piece of gold quidly slipped into his hand he would ; then easily allow the visitor to enter as far as the- atrium. This court, surrounded by a colonnade, gave access to the- apartment a by door which was called noble. The ostiarii were justly noted for their boldness and their insolence. «6 VALERIA surprise. His elegant dress, the perfumes he used, bespoke the man of pleasure. He became respectful however, in spite of himself, and advanced towards Valeria who the was on the point of retiring ; she had recognized young debauchee whose impudence had disturbed her mother's funeral the night previous. " To what may I attribute the honour of your visit, Madam ? " asked Sabinius bowine; politely. Valeria briefly explained that she was the daughter of the Prefect of Rome and that urgent business brought her to see the Chancellor, of whom she implored an in- terview immediately. " Thou art then the daughter of the brave, noble Homan who died at her own hands ? If it were only through veneration for this new Lucretia, I would oblige her beautiful and noble daughter. It is not my father's hour for receiving, besides he has strictly for- bidden that any one should be admitted, but I shall " /do all I can that an exception be made in your favour. Valeria, who was entirely absorbed in her sorrow and Tier desire to save her father, heard only the words of admiration of her mother and the promise that no effort would be spared to obtain for her an interview with Heraclius. She followed Sabinius, glad to escape from the bold looks of his companions, and was soon in the presence of the Prefect of the Chancellor. He was a man of about fifty years, with small piercing lines at the corners, eyes ; his thin lips marked by deep gave his face an indefinable expression which repelled • all feeling of trust or confidence. Sabinius presented the young girl to his father but to learn the object did not withdraw ; he was curious of her mysterious visit, and some strange powerful in- " THE VICTORY 97 terest urged him to remain there ; he would have wished to help the young patrician whose severe beauty subdued him. Valeria, lifting her eyes to Heraclius' face, said im- mediately, in a voice full of emotion yet firm : " Deign to excuse me, noble Heraclius, if I dare to " importune you by an injudicious visit. Without allowing her to finish her sentence, Heraclius mterrupted her brusquely to angrily rebuke her for havmg disregarded his orders. His voice was harsh and abrupt, his look fierce, and, in spite of himself, he turned away his head at sight of the gentle girl. It was not surprising that Valeria's visit should be particularly displeasing to the persecutor; more es- pecially at this moment when he was choosing from a long list of patrician names, those whom he wished to implicate in Rufinus' pretended conspiracy. Who better than his victim's daughter could awaken in his un- principled heart filled with unquiet hatred the remem- brance of the Prefect's bitter reproaches ! the con- temptuous epithets which the latter had made use of m condemning his deceit still rang in his ears while at the same time remorse made itself felt like the increasing darkness of night, and he trembled in spite of himself at the thought of the terrible menaces hurled at him by his victim. Valeria was ignorant of all this and bravely began again : " Pardon an unfortunate daughter, Heraclius ; it is father's my life that I wish to - save ; it in thy hands. Thou hast only to will it and he can saved ! With eloquence which would have o^^n irresistible to any but this heart of bronze, she begged, she wept, she implored for the life of her father. Emotion over- 7 " 98 VALERIA wicked, and came yabinius who was more frivolous than when Valeria, he could not but show his compassion him with all the falling at Heraclius' feet, entreated her father's life. But strength of her filial love to grant depraved, feigned to see this man whose very soul was away his head. nothing, not to understand, and turned he replied coldly that Tired at last of her supplications him. she need expect nothing from " woman s tears "Know," said he scornfully, '.iat a It is in vain have no weight in the balance of justice. useless to importune that thou disquietest thyself, it is me longer. , , j thexu unfor-f And with an imperious gesture he ordered tunate girl away. , u * slowly and without Valeria crushed, heartbroken, rose her head walked another word, without even turning Sabinius followed her. towards the door ; " " they were alone. " the By Jupiter ! he cried when but believe me old man treated thee with contempt ; as many gold pieces as that if thou hadst offered him if he would thou didst shed tears, I am hippopotamus, see thy father in not have allowed thee at least to " prison. ,.,,,• " " said Valeria blushing I have a purse full of gold, "j this favour at least ? may I ask thee to obtain me covetuously taking Sabinius reflected a moment, then hid it hurriedly in the folds possession f the purse, he of his toga and repUed : to pre- "Listen, noble lady, it would be useless father is too badly sent thy request at this moment, my to the prison, and disposed, but I will take thee myself of obtaining access for thee I shall neglect no means is shut up within those hor- to the noble prisoner who \-U I I j t f ^ ; THE VICTORY 09> rible walls. We shall see later what can be done to offer " thy presents. Valeria, deeply affected, thanked him gratefully, but the young man's covetous looks when he saw the gold, aroused suspicions which she could not forget. She agam saw him hiding away the purse with but ill- disgiiised delight. Valeria followed him however. When they crossed the atrium together, the Chancellor's son whispered something in a low voice to his com- panions, who greeted it with loud, unseemly laughter. But, without waiting longer, he went with Valeria towards the large state bridge leading to the Forum. Passing from there before the Julius Basilica, built by Julius Cajsar, they found themselves opposite the Mamertine prison which stood at the foot of the Capitol. With a studied elegance and affectation which could not escape the young girl's notice, Sabinius had tried to begin a conversation with her along the way. He en- deavoured to console her by telling her that the tribunals could not condemn one whose innocence was known to all he sought to ; divert her attention by telling her of his travels and his stay in Egypt ; he expressed his sur- prise at never having met her at the fetes of the high ling Roman aristocracy. Could any one understand how a flower so exquisitely beautiful could conceal itself in such a hidden retreat. Valeria i entirely absorbed in oughts of her father, paid scant heed to his vain flattery, yet more than once she would have rebuked the young worldling whose fri- volous conversation and indiscreet questions roused her indignation, if the remembrance of her father's danger had not restrained her. Could she wound him who might help her to realize her most earnest wish ? •^itiitutmimsiham 100 VALERIA The proepositua, or prison guard, first raised serious difficulties in opposition to Sabinius' request, for he was forbidden to do anything without a written order from the Chancellor. How ever, by dint of reasoning and entreating, Sabinius obtained permission for the young girl to be admitted to see her father for half an hour. Valeria's rare beauty, her mother's tragic end, her lively gratitude towards him, had all charmed Sabinius, had ail excited in him the greatest interest in the young patrician, and while walking along, a thousand projects passed through his mind. The spring previ -us he had terminated his studies at the University of Alexandria and he had returned to Rome, not to devote himseli seriously to the service of the state, as his father had hoped, but to give himself up unrestrainedly, in the capital of the world, to the pleasures of which Alexandria had given him only a foretaste. Heraclius, finding that all his efforts to get his son to enter the office of the imperial Chancellor only served to keep him fiu-ther aloof from it, turned his thoughts elsewhere, and obtained for hini, from the Emperor, the post of general superintendent of state buildings, although he had not the slightest notion of architecture. The Chancellor had hoped that the turbulent nature of his son would delight in a charge which required so much the case however. New complaints activity ; such was not about Sabinius were being continually brought to him, but the young libertine only replied by saying that it was much better to eat a roast than to cook it. The son of the rich courtier easily found friends among the youth of highest rank, and it is needless to say that these latter always took his part. With them, he spent If THE VICTORY 101 his nights at banquets, in debauchery and gaming. This conduct displeased Heraclius, and Sabinius, who would not endure his reproaches, avoided his father and endeavoured to shake off his authority. Things had come to this when he met Valeria for the first time the thought ; of the young giri haunted him. He told himself that with !ier, happiness and good fortune would take up their abode at his hearth. Would Rufinus find that he was paying too high a price for his life, his position, his wealth, by giving Sa- binius his daughter's hand ? As to himself, the son of the parvenu could he hope for a more brilliant, a nobler match ? F's father was powerful enough to save the prisoner. While turning these thoughts o/er in his mind Sabinius told himself that his mother would help him to oblige his father to mtercede with the Emperor. He remembered however, and not v/ithout a certain fear, how deepiv Heraclius hated the Prefect of the town. Yet again he began to hope tliat his lucky star would bring events about as he desired, that some good genius would cloud the " old man's " memory, or better still, extinguish his hatred, and that he would willingly become the father-in-law of the rich and beautiful heiress. Carried away by these golden dreams, Sabinius quite forgot the deplorable incident of the previous evening, his meeting wi+h Sophronia's funeral cortege. The young man reached his home in joyous mood and directed his steps towards his mother's apartments. The noble hdy received her son in a dazzlingly rich and luxurious room. The most costly paintings ornamented the ceiling on which gold had been profusely used, while thick oriental carpets spread on the floor deadened the 102 VALERIA wood, cleverly sound of fool steps. On tables of scented and all around inlaid, stood candlesticks oC pure Roid ; which came from the eye met a profus on of statuettes sculptors, precious bowls the hands of the mo. t famous them, caskets of with exquisitely painted fiRuros on precious stones. Rich carved ivorv' and gold va.ses of artistically soften- curtains, elegantly draped, allowed an outside, a magnifi- ed half-light to enter and disclosed, flowers charm- cent verandah, where the rarest plants and ed the eve and perfumed the air rose an immense In a basin which occupied thf centre, graceful cupids, and from silver cup supported by three cascades which then spread them- it fell jets of water, in selves out like silvery sheets. I with More than once had Heraclius stained his hands her mad passion blood to amass all this wealth. Alas ! in I share of accomplicity ? for luxury had not his wife a heavy stretched When SaiiJnius entered, his mother indolently a drama by on a bed of purple and gold, was reading one unworthy Plautus, a more than frivolous author and to be read by any sensible woman. of her family, Proi'd of her birth and the nobility Her capricious- she held high the sceptre of authority. to her numerous ness was often a cause of suffering many yet there might have been found in Rome slaves ; cruel this was an excuse noble ladies more harsh and ; in her own eyes. , ci i her husband tilled The brilliant position occupied by would have been her with proud satisfaction, and she loved with devoted perfectly happy if her son, whom she of senatorial tenderness, had given her a daughter-in-law nobility. rank and ancient . Sabinius' Consequently, she listened with delight to THE VICTORY 103 confidence, and quickly entered into his views. " Yes, " she " said imperious'y, thy father niu>r set the prisoner at lilwrty, for it is hardly possible that we should meet a better nmtt-h. Come then, my mv, let us " go to him without further delay. She half rose from the divan, and thouRhtfuliy lifted ht. delicate, jewelled hands to her forehead. \ sudden joyous exclamation showed that she had found the so- lution she sought clapping ; her hands in a way peculiar to herself, she called her confidential slave. " Send " a messenger at once to the Mamertine prison, she said, " to ask the young patrician, thf daughter of Rufinus, to come to the office of the Cha.iCoMor where " Heraclius' wife wishes to speak to her. Then leaving her couch Sabina went to see her hus- band, leaning on the arm of Sabinius. " son, " " My she said, thou must expect a terrible resistance but ; we shah conquer. Speak first and I will come to thy assistance at an opportune mo- ment. " However unfeeling Heraclius had shown himself in Valeria's presence, we have seen that the unfortunate young girl's tears and entreaties had roused in his heart not only dreadful remembrances but even remorse. Ru- finus's dark menaces passed and repassed through his tormented imagination ; nd froze him with terror. In order to calm this febrile agitation, he told himself that it was too late to undo the injustice, that the Emperor had spoken and would not be shaken by any considera- tion, for Maxentius' covetous interests were at stake. Wishing to banish tltese thoughts, he began anew to consult his list of names. At this same moment the door opened to admit his wife and his son whose unexpected 104 VALKRIA visit surprisetl him. Ho looked at them and waited. S?abina sat down un his vexation : " Fortune has fixed the bait on my line, and the little can fish, though slowly, will bite, I hope. Thou alone " prevent it by troubling the waters. " " " In I do not understand, answered Heraclius. the web truth, if divine Fortune has chosen to weave of thy happiness, it is not thy father who will entangle " the threads. " Strong in this promise, I shall tell thee my secret. placed It is on the daughter of Rufinus that I have my circumstances, I hope that she affections ; considering the will give me her hand and her immense fortime; all depends ki " THE VICTORV 106 on thee to Btop the proceefUngs aftainut her father ! The head of the Mediina herself could not have l)een a greater shock to the courtier of Maxentiiw. A« if riveted to the ground, he fixed on lii« son his small eyes which were abnormally dilated, hut did not say a word. Coming to himself at last he cried in a stifled voice : " Sabinius, art thou mail ? — Yes. the money thou losest in gaming has also -ade tliee lose thy head. — Listen well let : there nevt-r l)e a (juestion of such folly again. I will not hear another word. Never, no never, shall I consent to receive as my daughter-in-law the daughter of my mortal enemy, of him who has so often and so deeply wounded me. ~ Besides, know thciu that " Rufinus, accused of high treason, is already condenined, Sabini'is was not at all troubled l)y this torrent of wrath, and replied in a peculiarly sly. meaning tone : "And who would prevent thy writing the name of " another innocent pe.son on tin list of proscription ? The n:iexion of the voice was such, and so well ex- pressed Sabinius' conviction on the subject of the in- nocence of Rufinus, that in .spite of his craftiness, the Chancellor could ?.ot succeed in hiding his uneasiness. " " Dost thou think .hen, he stammered at last, " that this noble patri"ian rtould carry her heroic filial devotion so far as to redeem 1 er father's life at such a price ! Would she espouse thee ? — Thee, Sabinius the de- " bauchee ? The young man who preserved the self-possession which his father had lost, replied calmly : " Valeria assured me that she would recoil from no sacrifice to save her father ! As for my appearance, re- member that I am the living picture of my father, all " Rome says so. '( r 106 VALERIA Quite beside himself and raging like a lion, Heraclius bounded from his seat, when Sabina interposed. Romans of high birth gave their wives the title of this usage but in his DGminn, Heraclius had adopted ; of good breeding. home it was not merely an empty title to unite her If Sabina, of very noble birth, had chosen destiny with that of a parvenu, she meant at least to carry the sceptre, and shake off the conjugal yoke which weighed as heavily on many noble Roman ladies as on the lowest of their slaves. She closed her fan. a movement which always signified that she would not be contradicted, then looking at said in Heraclhis as if she wished to fascinate him she an insinuating voice : " Consider, my dear husband, that it is a question if the noble Valeria gives him of our son's happiness ; her hand, her father must be set free, it must be so, cost " what it will. Heraclius was beside himself. " Domina, " he cried, " canst thou then forget that this man had me banished, that he has often wounded me ! only this cruelly ? It is he, always he, the wretch morning again, in open tribunal, he insulted me, threaten- ed me, with such freedom of language that everybody was shocked. And now, we must embrace each other like " ! that shall never be ! the best of friends ! — no — Sabina, wrapping herself up in a majestic calm which contrasted with Heraclius' rage, said : " The union of the children will reconcile the pa- " rents. " " Are there not then in Rome, roared the unfortun- measure, ate apostate, who was exasperated beyond " are there not then hundreds of young girls who would if THE VICTORY 107 be happy to unite their lot with that of the son of the Chancellor ? Must my son, he to whom I gave life, espouse the " daughter of the man whom I hate ? Then turning towards Sabina, Heraclius added : " If son my is unnatural enough to remain insensible to the insults with which I have been loaded, wife " my at least — As we have said, Sabina had her fair share of crafti- ness she cleverly ; interrupted her husband to show him that to be the arbiter of Rufinus' destiny would be the Chancellor's greatest triumph. " Let the Prefect of Rome receive his pardon from thee ! let him by this be placed under an obligation to thee ! —Will that not be a master-stroke ? " she asked, at the same time making use of all her powers of fasci- nation with which she had long known how to influence Heraclius. The crafty woman had aimed true ; Heraclius dazzled by the perspective which Sabina held out before his eyes, went still further than she. He said to himself that, already possessing such great influence over the Emperor, there would be no man more powerful than he in the capital of the world, if he had the Prefect of Rome at his feet. What would the war or its issue matter to him then ? He would be assured of having nothing to fear for himself, for his own or for his wealth. However, he did not wish to show that he was so easily won over by his wife's reasoning and he replied : " Dost thou know also that the first enquiry of the Praetor has given publicity to the most crushing proofs of the Prefect's guilt ? and dost thou know, " he added in a low voice, that " the confiscation of his wealth is a necessity ? The coffers of the state are empty, they " " I r 108 VALERIA signed this must be filled by some means. I ordered and is confiscation myself. I cannot go back on that, the thing the thing is done, let us say no more about it." done. Yes, " " Thou art free to efface what thou hast signed, shrewd smile showed what rejoined Sabina ; and her importance was to be attached U> the pretexts of her " that lord and master in this shameful affair. Provided matters to the confiscated goods fill the treasury, what they the divine Maxentius the source from whence pronounced hasten come ? The sentence is not yet ; inac- then to find some mistake in the proceedings, some curacies, revise the documents. " The second enquiry will prove more stiv^ngly the in- Hera- nocence of the accused than thp "-st did his guilt. it, as our son has clius, it is only a matter of th> .lUing for already told thee, and the cause will be gained. As teach the divine Maxentius, it is quite unnecessary to him that sedition is at his thee how to take him ; show frighten doors, that revolt is in the palace, in a word, is easier. That done, the magnanimous him ; nothing Heraclius will give back to Rufinus life, liberty, and even " his position itself ! " " Adorable lady, " again replied the Chancellor, thou thou dost not think at all of the difficulties in which the placest me. What of Sophronia's death ? — and " accusing letters ? " " That is all smoke, replied Sabina. I She was about to continue when a slave announced Valeria's arrival. "This matter concerns me r'Dne, " said Sabina in a " to act tone which admitted of no questioning; I mean independently of everybody. You are too clumsy, both of you, to catch oiu* dove. kf THE VICTORY 109 A half hour later, the young girl left Heraclius's house taking with her a letter addressed to the prcepositus or prison guard. This letter ordered him to prepare the best cell for Arcadius Rufinus and to treat him with the greatest respect. He was also ordered, at the same time, to convoke all the judges for a new meeting that verj' day ! When the young girl found herself alone in the street, she stopped a moment as if crushed beneath the weight of a frightful nightmare. Her eyes sought the heavens and gradual'./ became more peaceful. She had already consummated, in Sabina's home, the sacrifice which was to save her father's soul at the same time as his life. God alone knew what it had cost the unhappy girl ! But, when alone in the street, she had again, for the second time, measured its greatness ; it was for this reason that she had lifted her eyes filled with anguish to heaven and sought strength and courage by fervent prayer. She then signed her forehead with the sign of the cross and bravely continued on her way to the Mamertine prison. In the catacombs of Saint Peter and Marcelline, a half effaced paintir-'; represents the chaste Susannah under the figure of a lamb and the two old men who im- pugned her as two infamous wolves. Was there any hope of a new Daniel coming to deliver this new Susannah from the jaws of these other wild animals who were not less cruel than those notorious old men ? No, alas ! The court of Maxentius had no Daniel, Valeria felt it only too well. If she opened the prison to her unfortunate father, if she gave him his liberty, she was loading her- self with chains whose weight and intolerable galling would but increase from day to day. if ; no VALERIA the cou- But had she not drawn frona God Himself she not derived it rage for a life of martyrdom ? *Had through love ? from His side which had been opened it, nothing was too much Yes, the young Christian felt the victim for her fa- for such a cause, she would be dearly loved father ther's soul and the salvation of that would br"ome the recompense of her holocaust. if !0U- 1 it :e? CHAPTER YI luch fa- ::t the kai.iertine ther prisck ^TE Mamertine prison, built by Ancus Maitius, ^t«^ fourth king of Rome, was situated at the foot of the capitol, opposite the Forum, antl was reserved for prisoners of state, and for criminals condemned for leze- majesty or high treason. This horrible dungeon was composed of two parts, as may easily be seen even now. The first is readily reached by a staircase leading into the street the second, ; a sort of a cave cut out in the rock of the capitoline hill itself, is a littlr hiehor than the height of an ordinary- man, about six fe and SIX feet wide. No door, no window admits eithei light or air. By the help of strong cords, the unfortunate con- demned are let down into it by an opening in the centre of the flat ceiling which was formed of free stone. It was through this opening that their food was passed to them and they were drawn up again when they were to undergo the final sentence, when they were not des- tined to die of hunger in this horrible living tomb. Never did the faintest ray of sunlight penetrate this dungeon. Damp, cold as the breath of death, this horrible grave was plunged in perpetual darkness. The air never being renewed was filled with offensive, putrid odours which were not the least of the tortures of the prisoner,-\ Tradition tells us that the chief of the apostles lan- guished in this narrow, underground dungeon, and that in the midst of his sufferings he had the consolation I i ! • 1) ' ' 112 VALERIA his guards to Jesus Christ. of there winning several of sombre prison, may The pious pilgrim, visiting this then burst forth mi- even now drink of the spring which the new converts, raculously, for the regeneration of at the prayer of Saint Peter. the chains At the church of Saint-Peter-in-chains, this prison, and those the Prince of the Apostles wore in are venerated. with which Herod loaded him at Jerusalem, i of the Gos- Tradition mentions several other apostles following centuries, were pel who, in the course of the dark Mamertine pri- shut up, like Saint Peter, in this devastated the Church son, when cruel persecutions • Christ.^ of . J . didJ.J not de- Thrown into this frightful prison, Rufinus he knew that he would die ceive himself in the least ; be taken out only alone, abandoned, or that he would in this hideous hole, to be led to death. Buried alive would be absolute so- his only companion henceforth the thick darkness which litude. A blacker night than coldly surrounded him, had now entered his soul. He first situation then a ner- measured all the horror of his ; of him and vous excitement gradually took possession his teeth fit of anger. He ground he fell into a violent be mentioned those whose 1 Among these martyrs might ! i chevaher de Rossi (Decree of Acts have been published by the 201). The Pope Damasus the Vatican. 1877. Roma soterr. , 111, the perse- • " Greece, died durmg says These martyrs, come from thrown into the Mamertme pri- cution of Valerien. Chained and n ^ and were condemned to death. son, they persevered in their faith, were buried in the Ca- Their bodies, taken up by the Christians, Hippohte seven in number : ; tacombs of St. Calixtus. They were Pauhne their parents, Hadrias and ; his nephews, Marie and Leo ; Marcellus." the priest Eusebius and the deacon IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 113 and shook his heavy chains in despair ; his whole beinjt was agitated and he writhed in violent convulsions Vainly did he look around for help, even the slightest, m this excess of misery ; he fell back crushed : the cold hard stones of the dungeon, the only witnesses of his groaning, were deaf, dumb, insensible. The silence of death alone responded to the appeals of his immeasurable grief. Sometimes it seemed to him that he heard, in the clanking of his chains, a satanical laugh and a cold sweat broke out on his trembling limbs. He leaned his burning forehead against the damp wall holding his head between his hands, he sought with feverish eyes to pierce the dense obscurity which enveloped him: vain effort' and his voice hoarsely asked : " Rufinus, " art thou going mad ? Gradually, however, he grew more calm, his thoughts carried him back to the past, the happy past which had now fled Once more he saw himself rich, honoured, the object of Sophronia's devoted, thoughtful affection, of the love of his children, particularly Valeria. " What is all " ! at an end ? he cried " at last ; was all that given to me only to be taken from me at one stroke ? That Supreme Being Whom I perceived for a passing moment yesterday, like some bright ray of hope, in the darkness of my first night of sorrow, does He exist ? But how does He rule the destiny of mortals He who IS said to be so good ? No, no, He does not exist. Would He permit that virtue should succumb and cnme triumph ? Did the world contain two creatures more noble, more pure, more faithful to this God than Sophroma and Valeria. And did this God protect them ^ l^id He not allow beloved my wife to be exposed to the •odious outrage of the Caesar ? And my daughter Va- 8 " " ! i r 114 VALERIA floods of suffering to overwhelm leria, has He not allowed by grief, I i poor heart, broken her f How eagerly did my on their tombs by the read the inscriptions engraved M so inscriptions were for me hke many Christians ! Those to embrace their faith. Was cries of hope. I was about i i con- a Christian by desiro, by I not thereby already at the time '' this moment, viction — And it was at lifted up my hands to- when, believing and hoping, I thrown alive into this tomb wards the light, that I was truth, ru h darkness ? Oh ! of the dead, into this utter powers of my being, truth which I aspired with all the to a truth, thou too, thou art but that I wished to adore, feelings, il- light then was fallacious, my name ! That falsehood ! lusions, . ^ „ , , i Rufinus suddenly Plunged into ever increasing despair he almost fibre of his being vibrated started ; every heard the voice of stopped breathing. He distinctly Valeria calli:!g him : ! " ! Father Father , . ^ , around his darling child hovering Was it the spirit of how near her heart him because she wished him to feel beloved father ? was to her , • .u trying to explain the While thus lost in wonder and above his head, the voice of mystery, he heard a sound second call from his darling the jailer and, nearer still, a child : Father " ! Father ! Father . , , ,, to think how Va- His emotion was great, and he tried found a means of reachmg leria could have so quickly ' Chancellor brought by On a written order from the prcepositus had immediately one of Sabinus' slaves, the young girl to the bottom of told the jailer to take the IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 115 tl.c stairs which gave access to the first prison and, in her eager affection, she had called out to her father while descending the stairs. Wli'-n she had reached tlie last step, the jailer took her by the hand and led her a few steps towards the middle, in profound obscurity ; then he stopped sud- denly and called out : " Sir, " thy daughter is here to see thee. The poor girl felt faint on hearing her father's loved voice coming up from the lower dungeon, as out of a sepulchre, and mingled with the sound of the heavy chains. " Kneel down here " quite close to the opening, said the jailer to Valeria, " and take care not to fall through to the bottom. Thou canst speak to thy father from here, and I shall come for thee in half an hour. — I do not know, however, if thou wilt be able to remain so long in this frightful Tartarus. " Valeria knelt down and, leaning on the pavement with one hand, tried to find the opening in the ceiling with the other. At last her trembling fingers encounter- ed the cold stones which bordered it, and lying down on the pavement, she put her head over it and tried to distinguish her father but ; the darkness was too great. Rufinus whose eyes were beginning to be accustomed to the obscurity, could see his daughter, but only like a dark shadow. " Oi ' what " a consolation ! cried ^ the poor father, " to see thee once more, thee, my daughter, my sweet child to speak to ; thee once more before passing from this horrible dungeon to the banks of the Styx ! Give me thy hand so that I may know that it is really thee " ' my darling child. Valeria stretched out her arm and shuddered at the -?~^T-^s^>r r^:,.. mi ^1 1 i^: 116 VALERIA cold, damp hands. contact of her unfortunate father's succeed in "Tell me, my daughter, how didst thou Rufinus. gaining admission here," a^ked guards, " replied the 1 " I tried m vain to bribe the prayer nevertheless, for it girl "but God heard my the way by givmg was the jailer himself who showed me " me the Chancellor's address. " Rufinus •' wretch ! cried The Chancellor ! that " he himself who. with forged passionately ; it was he, to ruin me. I did not fear, letters, urged on the Emperor him for his odious before the whole tribunal, to reproach only have repulsed you disdainfully, knavery ! He could " the infamous wretch ! Without replying to this Valeria said : Lord sent me a guide, " When I had lost all hope, the Chancellor's son. It was in the person of Sabinus, the " he who brought me to thee. utterly surprised ; " His son ! " exclaimed the Prefect healthy branch ? " but how can a rotten tree produce a the influence Doubtless, Sabinus was more suoceptible to However that may be, I of thy gold than the jailer. procuring me the inex- thank him with all my heart for again, my beloved pressible consolation of seeing thee for it. Believe me, my child. I could not have hoped about thy future, I would child, if I were not so uneasy of happi- descend, with a light step, from the ruins my into the tomb of ness and from my vanished dreams " nothingness, into eternal oblivion. She understood These last words made Valeria shudder. of resignation hid the in an instant that this appearence anguish difficult to deepest despair, and she felt, with fastened the day describe, that her father's little bark, its cable broken before to the Saviour's cross had h.ad IN THE MAMKRTINE PRISON 117 by the frightful tempest which had burst over it ; but she did not lose courage. Seizing the broken chain' with consummate tact, tact inspired from on high, Valeria with all hir Christian faith and filial tenderness, set to her ta.sk without losing a moment. It was necessary to reunite the lx)nd8 that had been so quickly broken, she must, at any price, guide safely into the harbour of salvation the skiff so tossed about by the storm amidst the fury of the waves and whirlpool oi waters Doubtless, the fervent prayers of Sophronia the martyr, at the foot of the Eternal's throne, assisted her daughter's efforts. The young girl was surprised herself at the facility with which she spoke of divine doctrine while explaining to her father the principal truths of our holy religion • one would have thought, she said later on, that an all' powerful hand suggested it to her. A bright light filled her mmd, love lent wings to her words, and she too was able to say : "did I not then feel my heart " burning* within me ? At first Rufinus listened, not without bitterness and incredulity, to his daughter's explanations ; only the happiness of hearing her loved voice made him over- come his reluctance. Gradually, however, incredulity and opposition were defeated ; the violent storm that trial had raised in his soul was gently calmed, and bright rays came to dissipate the darkness of night. His atten- tion increased, Valeria's words seemed to him to come from some sublime, powerful, invisible being ; and as a plant that has been scorched by the burning sun, revives and gently lifts its head under the cooling dews, his soul athirst for comfort, revived under the influence of divine grace which descended abundantly while Valeria spoke 'I ' 118 VALERIA her mo- When the youtiR girl reminded her father of to pray fervently for him ther'fl letter and her promise remnants of resis- at the foot of God's throne, the last love of Him whose tance vanished. Vanquished hy the hearts and wills merciful love holds in His hands the but fell from his eyes ; of His creatures, a flood of tears they were tears of sweetness. " " the God " ! he cried, how good Oh ! my child in Him, I l)elieve all that of the Christians is ! I believe thou Iwlievest, thy mother l^elieved. I believe all that life for this faith and I am ready to give my my child, " I adore. which I embrace, for the God whom that of saving a soul If there is pure joy on earth, it is it is to if there is intense happiness, w that if3 dear to us ; it is to come out from find God after a life spent in error, plunge oneself into the the dark, cold night of doubt to quit the luminous splendour of eternal truth, it is to become intoxicated empty, arid desert of incredulity to garden of with the heavenly perfume of the blooming sorrows lose their bitter- the Church. Then :» sharpest the way their sharp- ness, the thorns and the briars of At the touch of this ness, and death itself its terrors. and the daughter supreme joy, the souls of the father the dungeon and lost forgot for a moment the horrors of themselves in an outburst of gratitude. Remembering the avidity with which Sabinus had that with the help seized her purse, Valeria told herself succeed in returning of more gold, she would certainly perhaps bring to see her father, and, who could tell ? the regenerating waters to him a priest who would pour sorrow of over Rufinus' head. This hope softened the it was time for parting when the jailer came to say that Valeria to leave. 1 I iivl IN THi: MAMERTIN'E I'HISON 119 Rufinu«, returning to his solitude, threw himself on •lis knees, and a long fervont prayer rose from his heart to heaven. When he rose, he was another man ; the things of this life were to him no longer what they had k-en, even the heavy trials which lia.l darkened his existence, now left his soul calm, happy, peaceful. It was not difficult for him to acknowledge that he would have never known the truth if a storm of sorrow had not burst over him to overcome his indomitable pride with its heavy hand, and if trial had not broken the bonds of human respect. If then an unjust sentence had deprived him of earth- ly goods and this present life, he had found eternal life m the faith which now illumined his sdul. The inscrip- tions of the catacombs came back to his memory, and were better understood by him now than on tbj night of Sophronia's burial. His thoughts dwelt on his noble, gentle wife and he asked himself, surprised at his own haughty obstinacy, how his pride and prejudice, could have so blinded him and raised such a barrier l)etween himself, ami his own happiness. At the thought of Valeria, he shed tears of sweete.st joy. With a full heart, he thanked heaven for confiding this treasure to his care, for sending this consoling angel to him at the moment of his darkest despair, when all seemed to crumble away beneath his feet. The heavenly doctrine that he had learned from his beloved daughter, came back to his memorv with such clearness, such simplicity, with such a power of truth, that it left no doubt in his enraptured soul. At this moment the jailer's attendant let down, into the obscure prison, a loaf of bread and a jar of wine that Valeria had hastened to buy from guards, for Rufinus' " «<.A.a- 120 VALERIA strength had been exhausted by his suffering and his: long fast. He had already begun to feel the tortures of hunger of which the damp walls of the dungeon had, alas ! been so often witnesses for so many u"*'ortunates. Rufinus had not yet finishetl his frugal repast, when he thought he again heard the loved voice of his daughter ; I thought but no ! — it was his weakened imagination, the Prefect. How could Valeria so quickly have obtained another interview ? While the unfortunate Prefect thought himself the prey of a vain hallucination, he dis- tinctly heard, without being able to doubt it, that silvery,, well-known voice saying : " Father, father, thou art free ! " are I free ! — free ! — no ! — fever and excitement " affecting my tired brain ! But the light of a torch penetrated into his dark dun- who bent her head over geon ; the voice of his daughter ; ! the opening, repeated : " " for thee. O father, thou art free ! — I have come The jailer and his assistants were beside Valeria at the opening above. A slave, setting down a ladder, came down to saw off the Prefect's chains so that he might be almost insensible, so able to go up ; but he found him i j I violent had been the feelings which had rushed over his heart. He followed the slave mechanically, scarcely understand- ing what he was doing. But when he felt \iu daughter throw her arms around him and lay her head caressingly against his heart, con- vulsive sobs shook him violently and it seemed as if In emotion would crush his strong frame. Abundant tears and then fell from his eyes ; Valeria kissed them away ' I I i V- V IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 121 led her father out of the prison while he asked: But IS It really " true that I am free ? The jailer soon put an end to this moving scene and all remounted the stairs. When Rufinus came into the he )g^^ could scarcely bear it ; looking at his daughter ne repeated : •' Is it really true that I am free ? My child, my saviour, tell me, what didst thou do ? " It is not possible that thy love has conquered. " I will tell " thee later, replied Valeria ; we have not the time now, let us " hasten to get out from here. Is It the Emperor?" continued Rufinus, "didst thou^throw thyself at his feet ? Did thy tears then soften " Later on later on, I " will tell thee all, replied the girl aga.n ' ; let us get away from here, let us breathe the iresh air, let us give ourselves up to the joy of feeling " * •' & that thou art free. But the Prefect redoubled his questioning when Valeria persisted in observing silence, and full of anxiety, he began to move more slowly. Finally he stopped alto- gether and cried in a voice which betrayed that he had been accustomed to command : "Valeria, I will not take another step until thou hast told me thy secret. I adjure thee by thy mother's memory, hide nothing from me. " The poor girl was obliged to give way ; she bowed her head and acknowledged how she had promised her hand to the son of Heraclius, to purchase, at that price, the life of a loved father. Rufinus grew pale, he at first remained speechless, then, at last after a supreme effort, he said : " No, " no, never, my child, never. wm jm V, it. 122 VALERIA I Tears flowed down his manly face. Valeria had im- I ploringly thrown her arms around his neck and the tears of the daughter mingled with those of the father. I Rufinus gently disengaged himielf from her embrace and looked at her with indeso'-'bable tenderness. " ' " Listen to me, my child, he said ; liberty is a divine gift, life spent with it would be sweeter than the '.i f^tes of Olympus, but I would never sell thee, thee, my daughter, to these infamous wretches ; that is too high a price for my life. Wouldst thou then condemn me to endless remorse ? May thy God, who is my God, reward thee for thy filial devotion ; child, He alone can measure the extent of thy sacrifice ; but thy poor father will never consent to it ; rather a thousand deaths, a thousand martyrdoms ! Guards, give me back my chains, lead me " back to my dungeon. Valeria threw herself at his feet and implored him, but in vain. The Prefect raised her with infinite tenderness, but his love itself rendering him the more inflexible, he forbade her peremptorily to insist further. Then turning to the " guards he said in a firm voice : Jailer, I will not leave this place go and tell thy master, Heraclius, that the ; Prefect of Rome absolutely refuses to buy his freedom at the prescribed price. Tell him besides that Rufinus and " his daughter adore the God of the Christians. Valeria's sobs prevented her speaking. Only too happy to save her father, she had not for an instant thought lie would oppose her heroic sa^ ifice and refuse the liberty that her filial love had resolved to purchase at any price. The jailer was overwhelmed with astonishment, and I ! looked from father to daughter ; this was altogether a mysterious problem to him. k\ I " IN THE MAMERTLVE PRISON 123 " Well, " said he at last, recoveri.ig a little from his '"^""^ >^^" *« ^^'^-^ here, so mTT\'let It be I shallI r"'' i' , go and apprise the prcepositm, who will himself inform the Chancellor. We shall then see what IS to be done. ^^'^'''" ' ^™P'«^«d Valeria; "Twrr^I wish y to shareT ..s chains, his prison, I wish to remain beside him till the hour of his execution. " " That IS a thing which is " not in my power, said the " ^^"^ ' "^^^*^"« the Chancellor's f . ^"L reply^nt ITkshall put you both in a place where will jyou " finduna much to amuse you. While speaking he seized a large bunch of keys, and, preceding Rufinus and his daughter, led them through a long corridor to a heavy door which he opened to allow them to pass m, saying with a frightful laugh • ^'^ '''"^ *°^'' ''^ *^^^ ^'°" ™^^ "'^'^'''^ y^"*" leisure ^* '^"* *^^ '^''°' '''"''^''^'^^ "^^^^"g 't grate on its^hin tT The prisoners found themselves in the room containing the instruments of torture. During the persecution of Diocletian, the Prefect had assisted, more than once, with perfect calmne.ss, at the torture of the martyrs bu to-day standing ; , before these horrible implements .still red with the blood of the victims, he shuddered. Axes, swords scourges whose leathern thongs were armed with balls of lead or sharp points of steel or iron and even with scorpions, hung on the walls. Further on were to be ^seen iron rods, enormous pincers, hooks, and large metal •combs, which tore away the flesh. On the floor were arranged in order, gridirons, to which the victims were tied and slowly burnt. Beside these were laid the heavv V. 124 VALERIA equleiis or racks so often spoken of in the acts of the I. martyrs. The unfortunate who was to be tortured was- bound o it, and his limbs dislocated by a wheel that the :H executioner set in motion. But in order to prolong the torture, the final turn, which would have caused death, was delayed. Sometimes, while the martyr was thus stretched on this horrible bed, the lamina, or plates of red hot iron, would be applied to his sides. Near by the eguleus stood enormous bronze caldrons ; into these, boiling oil or lead was poured and the victims plunged into them. Itufinus felt a cold perspiration break out over him at the thought of the tortu-es which he might perhaps have to suffer in order to confess his faith ; Valeria's eyes, on the contrary, shone w-'th heavenly joy ; she pressed her lips to one of the instruments on which she venerated " primitive heroes of the church : Fear not, beloved father ; our God upholds those who combat for Him. The blood of so many martyrs has made sacred these arms of Satan and changed them into trophies of victory. There, on high, the confessors of the faith sing their songs of triumph amidst eternal splendours. The clouds 1 1 of the heavenly Jerusalem open above the blood stained rocks ; the blessed contemplate the soldiers of Christ, who himself assists them in the fight. From the throne of His thrice holy majesty, the Eternal reveals to them the ineffable delights promised to the victors. " The warrior is proud of the scars which the combat brought him ; why should we fear, we athletes of the- king Jesus ? Why should we fear wounds, suffering and death ? If we fall, we shall rise again ; if we die, it will fi be to live above in the eternal mansions. .^' "Oh ! let torture come and destroy this miserable* [*' II £ IN THE MAMERTINE PRISOX 125 mortal envelope : what mnffo,. it *. my poor bod/- bhristaSl HrToLr' "'".' glory and immortality " *"'^ "' "'»' thltti:^; *:[?iirR r^" ""^ "> - - ^'""'^ "'"" "d- miration, his eyrsfaed on ™ T\ listens '^""''' "' *'"' ''"'^ipfe to his master tL'hS . indescribable ^l^t^^'t^-ToTT:- ""^ '° himself ,° Jo^'erdny/ threw at the feet of IhTn ^r the ^"«''' ""<' '«k^'' her, bride of Christ oM k u ""' *""• "^ »''<' """orthy, her poor father ' "- ofiiferrri-ifft'Ltd'trsrr ^•- l'-^^^''^'' Xd^^trrbast£™f^=^^^ .oodn^s ponred His .raees^o:! rZt^^r h^r^! """ heJUSt'dtlerrrf ''^\^-'- '" -" sition. SabinusknThistX^irsai^""' "'""'- of it their so„I., were too ; bie to u„d r tl^d sS""br t::;Smr^^-:tf«^-''"^^^^ the^prisoner would elX^a^Xri^; .^^ Erpe^sr '"^'" '^^ itrtTont otST Tf'^' the court, and, ^ ^^U^^X^l^t:^ 1 V, 126 VALERIA liberty, his life, his old office. Sabina, proud of her ability, congratulated herself on having so cleverly arranged matters and so quickly bringing about the realization of 1 1 1, her most cherished desires. The Chancellor's wife found the young girl singularly ',^ pleasing. During a second conversation with her husband, she had so dazzled HeracUus with the advantages of this union, that he promised her his assistance and gave her,, though not without serious trepidation, the letter that Valeria took to the prison. The object of this letter, however, was only to ameliorate Rufinus' condition and to make his captivity less severe. If he left his frightful dungeon, it was to be put into another part of the building and under the surveilance of the prcepositus. Heraclius saw many and great difficulties in his way. How was he to present this new state of things to Caesar, he asked himself ? How, after working so hard to depose i \ ! the Prefect, was he to go back on what he had done ? These questions which he asked himself, and others but, trusting besides, vemained unanswered in his mind ; to his lucky star which had served him so well up to that iO time on more critical occasions, he said to himself that 'I it would help him again by means of his two favourite weapons : cunning and prudence. Before all else, it was necessary to revoke the sentence of the confiscation of the property, that was the most pressing. Sabinus who had wished to accompany Valeria to the Mamertine prison, was obliged to give up his desire in order to hasten to the palace of the prefecture where the employers of the public treasury were already affixing the imperial sea. When the young man had transmitted I I his father's orders, he directed his steps towards the pri- i son. Going along, he thought how best he might present . I • IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 127 himsel/ o his future father-in-law, with what fine words he should begin their first conversation. It was whilst he was preparing his discourse, therefore, that the mes- senger from the prcepositus stopped him to deliver to him the prisoner's decision. Sabinus was astounded at this ne^^•s and could scarcely believe his ears - Rufinus the Prefect of Rome a Christian ! - he refused him \ aleria s hand ! — he renounced his riches — his liberty — ms life ! - No ! - it was impossible ! - To believe Sabinus it must hear it from his lips. And running rather than walking, a prey to feverish excitement, he arrived at the prison. There was no question of the fine speech tnat he had prepared. Sabinus was conducted without delay to his father's victims but when his ; eyes fell on Rufinus who remained calm and dignified, he suddenly remembered the attack on Sophroma's funeral cortege, and he became quite confused. He changed colour, drew back a step und stam- mered out a few unintelligible words "^^""'^ ^^'^ '^"^ '^^"^ ^th the enthusiasm that./.^u"> had animated her while she had been speaking to her father of the glory of the martyrs, looked at Sabinus whose confusion increased. Thus might the soldier of Christ, m the arena, have fixed his tranquil gaze on the wild beast that was preparing to devour him. Sabinus, however, soon regained his usual audacity and, coming forward with all the politeness aflTected by the society of that period, obsequiously saluted the daughter. " Pardon me, most noble Rufinus, " " he said if j dare to approach thee under the present circumstances I desire thy daughter's hand. I have come to tell thee that It matters little to me if you are both Christians i«ai ' /^^ 128 VALERIA It is not a religion that I wish to espouse, but the adorable Valeria. But a short while ago, in presence of my parents, she assented to my most ardent wishes. I have hastened to lay, at thy feet, my wedding ifts, thy liberty, thy reinstatement in thy possessions, thy dignities and thy honours. It is the son of the first magistrate of the court f of Chancery who implores thy consent, O noble Rufinus ! " ,1 thou wilt not refuse it to me ? Rufinus remained silent. After a pause of a few minutes which must have seemed long to him, Sabinus continued, making an almost im- perceptible gesture towards the instruments of torture : " Thou must know ^hat if love has incomparable sweet- ness, vengeance also has hers which is sometimes ter- " rible. Learn then that thy fate is in my hands. The Prefect had recognized Sabinus as the chief of the band of libertines who had stopped Sophronia's funeral procession ; his personality, his speech, everything in this creature, inspired him with deep disgust and made him understand how heroic had been his daughter's sa- crifice. The proud and noble demeanour of the Prefect con- trasted strongly with the affected attitude of the frivolous libertine. Fixing on him a look in which mingled the quiet calm of the Christian and the dignity of a man of noble descent, Rufinus said : " Young man, there are abysses across which bridges cannot be thrown. That which separates us cannot be crossed. Thou dost menace us with death, with a cruel death, but we do not fear it ; neither do we fear the tor- ture thou dost suggest by glancing at these hideous in- i " struments of a revolting barbarity. Shame at being thus coldly repulsed filled Sabinus IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 129 with wild rage, and, uttering a frightful blasphemy he let " "So it be, you shall die like dogs. * Then he dashed out of the prison, loudly slamming the heavy doors. The Chancellor's son ordered the guards to th'^w the prisoners into the most horrible dungeon and went home hurriedly. On his way, he met the wild band of his dissolute com- pamons; Sabma. elated with triumph which she be- lieved assured hat! just announced to them her son's approachmg wedding. They had hastened to meet him m order to congratulate him and to invite him that very evening to a gi\y banquet. Sabinius's rage then reached its height. " May the falling-sickness " seize you all, he shouted gnashmg his teeth. By Bacchus and all the gods ' Do you thmk I would marry a dog of a Christian ? Let her marry if it pleases her, her father's executioner, and I will give her the wretch's head " as her marriage portion ' He did not stop in his headlong course as he uttered these coarse exclamations, and leaving his astonished companions in the street, he entered his mother's apart- ments. While he informs her of all that has happened, let us return to our prisoners. When Rufinus and his daughter arrived at the entrance to the frightful dungeon we have already described, the Prefect felt as if he would die at the thought of his child who was to be his companion in that living tomb Valeria pressed her father's trembling hand in her own and sought to encourage him with words which to mm were as heavenly music. 9 " 130 VALERIA " " Father, she said in her most winning tones, " how happy I am to be with thee ! How much do I now thank thee for having rejected Sabinius's offer ! Each word that fell from that man's lips in^piIcd in me an inexpressible repugnance, and I asked myself in horror how I should unite my life with that of a being «o degraded. Thou didst not make :i mistake, father, when telling me that a goofl branch could not spring from a rotten trunk. Dost thou know that unhappy Heraclius has been marked with the sign of holj' baptism ? Vile interests urged him to apostatize and the poor renegade Ims become the worst enemy of the Christians. " And we, father, shall we die together ! Oh ! what unspeakable joy for thy daughter's heart ! How merci- fully good our is God ! The Mamertine prison has been sanctified by a great number of martyrs who have pre- ceded us into heaven. They intercede for us on high, they will obtain patience and victory for us ; we shall " soon share their eternal blessedness. While saying these words, Valeria bravely approached the opening of the underground dungeon, and her father, with unspeakable anguish of heart saw her disappear into its awful depths. Immediately i , it was his turn. Who could tell their feelings on finding each other in that place of horror ! Each suffered for the other. They remained for sometime in a tender embrace, then, falling on their knees, their gratitude and their love arose to heaven on the wings of fervent prayer, as does the smoke from the ir.cense of the evening sacrifice. And the Lord, bending over these loved souls, shed His consolations abundantly over them. " What singular creatures these Christians are, IN THE MAM13RTINE PRISON 131 murmured the jailer as he " withdrew ; what courage we must employ each time we are obliged to throw a prisoner into this toad's hole ! They throw themselves into it with delight, one would say, as if endless happi- ness awaited them there ! It is said that they are all sorcerers, thp.t they change cold into gentle warmth, and heat into coolness. By all the demons, there is some truth in this ! However when their bodies come out of this hole, hangin;? to the hooks which have drawn them up, they are really 'ifeless, as are other mortals, and it is easily seen that they suffered the same pain, the same " tortures ! I cannot understand it. When Sabina and her son reached Heradius's rooms, the latter was walking up and down full of anxiety and trouble. He had not yet succeeded in cutting his Gordian knot. He remembered that it was he himself who had excited the anger of the savage Caesar against the Prefect, and he could not now, without danger, calm the wild beast and inspire him with more humane feelings towards the prisoner. "What was he to do -"ith the forged letters which had so well proved Rufinus guilt ? It was not possible to acknowledge that they were a tissue of false- hoods. The Emperor counted so much on the Prefect's immense riches to fill his own empty coffers. Would he ever renounce so productive a confiscation ? The longer the Chancellor reflected the more did he question the possibility of tearing the prey from the jaws of the voracious wolf without being torn asunder him- self was not ; Maxentius as suspicious as he was cruel ? Besides, the wily Greek asked himself if it would be prudent to unite himself by such close ties to him whom he had hated and persecuted so cruelly, to the man who, 132 VALERIA he felt, despised him, who had not long since sent him into exile, who, that very morning, haci overwhelmed him with accusations which were the more cutting be- cause they were well founded, and that in open court. Heraclius trembled with rage and clenched his hands at the mere thought of it. •' My wife forces " me into the lion's mouth, he said to himself " if I do ; not give the cruel animal a good feed, I shall, without the ali-htest doubt, be " devoured myself first. Never had he found himself with such a difficult prob- lem to solve. The surest way of obtaining pardon for llufinus, was to procure gold for his master ; and to do tliis, was it not best to hatch a new plot and draw up another list of so-called conspirators whose goods they could con- fiscate ? After much thought, after countless schemes conceived, rejected and taken up again, Heraclius thought that he had at last found a favourable one. " I will present another list to our hyena. I will tell i" him how I found out the real plot. I will tell him that if Sophronia committed suiciiie it was not at all because she wished to e.scape from His Majesty's power. The proud matron far from bemg a model of conjugal fidelity, had engaged herself, imknown to her husband, in a vast conspiracy the chief of which held secret communica- tion with her. I can say that she aimed at nothing less than getting rid of her husband in order to l)ecome em- press. But the proofs ! —Yes, the proofs !" added the Chancellor " " striking his forehead. Proofs are necessary. It appeared as if he wished to elicit them from his brain. iii' k ' h I'f ^::imy>.\ -'•. ^ IN TlIK Mi»MERTINK PRISON las He had reache " Let them die, let " them both die ! she cried in a voice trembling with passion. " Ah ! let them die the mo.,t cnjel of deaths ! — the infamous wretch who puts us to shame ! " And she paced up and down the room like a fury. The Chancellor could scarcely believe his ears. He approaclied his wife to sooth(> her, but she interrupted him and cried out more loudly : " Can any one imagine a more odious, u more out- rageous affront ? Rufinus, our prisoner, dares to refuse his daughter's " hand to our son ! Then throwing herself impetuously into a chair, she violently used her fan ; she was quite out of breath and her face was flaming. She had imprudently divulged her secret ; she had announced her son's marriage with a young and beauti- ful lady of the highest rank ; and now the proud Eoman trembled with rage not only because her dearest hopes were shattered, but because she foresaw tlie mocking and sarcastic remarks which, soito voce, would pass round among the many jealous enemies that her insolent haughtmess had gained her. With what impatience had she not awaited Sabinius's return ! Not the slightest doubt had come to trouble her mind in ; imagination, she had seen her son and Valeria coming to her, hand in hand. A thunderbolt falhng at her feet could not have so terribly affected her as the words of " Sabinius : " her father refuses ! and her fury v/as at its height. ^J^WT. " " 131 VALERIA Heraclius, too, felt deeply wounded by Rufinus's reply and the proud attitude his enemy maintained even in prison. " ! " What " he exclaimed, his pride will not bend •even in face of a cruel death ? Well, he shall learn, to his cost, the consequence of resisting the Caesar's power- ful confidant. " " it is Oh ! not pride only that influences him, " said Sabinius " the Prefect ; wishes thee to know that he and his daughter are Christians. " " Christians " " ! exclaimed Sabina, Rufinus and Va- leria Christians ! Oh ! how infamous ! quick, give me the essence of the roses of Cedar ! her And face wore an expression of the deepest disgust, while she threw herself back on the divan. At the name of Christians, a hideous sneer escaped Heraclius. " The Prefect of the city a Christian ! " ^^ he repeated, " that is something which is not wanting in interest and occurs admirably in the nick of time. What mortal can il now doubt of the conspiracy entered into by him and ^1 Constantine ! Sabinius consoled himself much more easily than his • parents, and, with his accustomed levity, and without any effort, overcame the shame of this rebuff. H " If the turtle dove has escaped me, " he cried laugh- mg, " I have at least made a fine capture of Christians, and I hope my dear father will see the m generously paid by his imperial master, will you i o ? I shall cel- ebrate a joyous holiday in honour of the gods who have preserved me from a cursed marriage with this execrable disciple of the Nazarene. What shall we do with the father and the daughter ? I gave orders « m that, for the IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 135 present, they should be thrown into the dungeon of Mamertme. " the " Let them there die of " hunger ! cried Sabina whose anger was still at its height. That was not Heraclius's idea ; he was forming other plans of revenge. ''That will be well enough for the old man who has baffled our projects, " he " muttered, but we shall make a beggar of the daughter. Besides it is the Casar who will decide " what Rufinus's fate is to be. While the Chancellor, without further delay, went himself to see Maxentius, he sent a slave with his orders to the pr(Bpositus. He was in a hurry to tell his master the great news of the day and make known that Rufinus was a Christian. At the same time he wished to present tne hst of pretended conspirators. At the head of the list, appeared the name of Antonius Valerius a man of honour, connected with the court, who made no mystery of being a Christian. The fervour with which he practised his religion had sufficed to mark him as an object of the Chancellor's hatred. While these events were rapidly taking place, Va- leria, m the Mamertine dungeon, was actively employed in instructing her father in the Christian doctrine. Igno- rant of what the future might have in store for them, she yet knew that each moment might bring a sentence of death, and she was determined not to lose any of the time that was so precious. Rufinus himself ardently desired baptism ; he longed to break down the barrier that still separated him from the God of truth, and when he learned that, in case of necessity any person might pour the regenerating waters, he begged his daughter not to wait longer. 136 VALEMA The girl hesitated at first, but her father H implored her saying : IS " ^^^^'^ if it is in 9'. ^^ ' thy power to make me a Christian, I ask it of thee in the name of the Lord Jesus ; do not longer delay my happiness. From what hand could I with greater joy, receive the gift of the all-powerful ? Dost thou doubt of my courage, of my will, to die for my faith '.r' ? Give me holy baptism and supernatural strength will fill my soul, that strength which recoils before no obstacle. When I shall m be purified, invigorated by thi» sacred bath, what will death matter to me? Let them make me suffer the most cruel torments, let them crush me under the most frightful torture, I shall be strong with divine strength and as long as I have a breath of life I shall say : I believe in God, one in three persons, I believe in His only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I believe that by His " death He has merited eternal life for me. Rufinus was ready then. To hope to see a priest was illusive death ; was perhaps already awaiting its prey. Valeria understood that she should no longer hesitate but hasten to baptize her father. Then remembering that it is customary in the Church to intenogate the catechumens, the young girl asked her father the usual questions after having led him to the blessed spring. " What dost thou ask of the Church ? " she mur- mured. "Faith and eternal life," answered Rufinus I with emotion. " Dost thou renounce Satan f " " " I do. " " His works and pomps ? "I do." \h I [\ " " IN THE MAMERTINE PRISON 137 " Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth ? " " I believe. After having addressed these questions to the author of her life, Valeria traced the sign of our redemption on the old man's forehead, recited the Pater noster and asked again : " " Dost thou wish to be baptized ? ''I wish it, I desire " it with all my heart, reflied Rufinus m a voice of deep feeling. He then knelt down, while his happy child, taking water from the spring in her hands and pouring it over the head of her beloved father, slowly pronounced the sacramental words : "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, I baptize thee. The girl's voice and hands trembled, while tears of inexpressible sweetness mingled with the regenerating waters. Her father was a Christian ! Rufinus caught his daughter's hands and, notwithstand- ing her resistance, covered them with his tears and kisses. " Valeria, O, " my child, how happy ! ^^ I am he cried. I can now call the God of the Christians my God : I also can now call Him " my Father Who art in heaven ! Valeria, carried away by deep powerful feelings that filled her soul, seemed in an ecstasy. Her soul, freeing Itself from earth, already perceived the delights of heaven and burning words escaped her lips. " See, " she " said, that venerable old man with the long white beard, it is the Shepherd among His sheep ; His face shines like the sun. His garments are whiter than the snow on the high m.ountains. Troops of Virgins 138 VALERIA also dressed in white, surround His throne, as the princes do their sovereign. A little further, I see my mother dressed m a long tunic she ; is crowned with flowers and carries a palm in her hand. A rich necklace of rubies sparkles on her breast and two angels are leading her. to the glorious old man. She prostrates hereelf at His feet but He kindly lifts her up, His smile is that of a father while He gives her a delicious mUk to drink from a golden cup " Rufinus kneeling held his breath so as not to lose a single one of the inspired words which fell from his daughter's lips and he trembled with emotion. After a moment's silence, Valeria contmued • " O, my sweet Mother ! ask the holy Shepherd to let us also drmk of this mysterious cup. It is cold, it is dark in this black dungeon, how will my father endure it if he IS not strengthened by a divine beverage ? From thy beautiul dwellmg didst thou see me baptize him? Dost thou know that he is a Christian ? Thou callest us, dariing Mother, 0, how I long to go to cross the unfathom- able depths which still separate us ! Who ..ill protect us against the frightful monsters, the terrible black drag- ons whose eyes dart forth hideous flames and whose claws seem ready to seize us ? " She had scarcely finished these words when the jailer's rough voice rudely awoke Valeria from her ecstasy. He ordered the prisoners to seize the cord which he threw down to them so as to go up to the upper prison. Valeria, full of joy and convinced that the hour of martyrdom had struck for Rufinus and herself, threw herself affectionately into his arms and cried out in a transport of delight : "Let us advance feariessly, beloved father, let us crush the head of the infernal dragon m beneath our feet ' lii tj i " IN THE MAMBBTINE PRISON 139 ^hile invoking the sweet name of Jesus. This divine name puts hmi to flight and annihilates all his power. Let us hasten, my Mother calls us, the combat " is short, the glory IB eternal. * ^ Arrived in the first prison, the prcepositus communicated to them the Emperor's sentences. The Prefect of the dty •of Rome was condemned to work in the imperial basilica and his daughter was to be set at liberty *^® T/1^^1*:^^ ^f^.*^ ^^P^* «^"-«^' burst into sobs. her gnef would have been less keen ; but this condemna- tion to a slow, cruel death, afflicted her beyond measm^e. Ito these works which were reserved for slaves, he would be exposed to the bad treatment of the keepers, to the most brutal coarseness. To her tender heart, was not this inexorable sentence harder to bear than any Oh torments. ! why could she not go with him ! Rufinus guessed her excessive anguish " Beloved child, " he said, " console thyself, I im- plore thee my heart ; now soars above this world and the diAone will is my sole happiness. It is thou thyself who didst show me the way I ; shall fearlessly cross the abyss which separates me from my God. He now dwells soul and will soon unite me to thyj mother in theuue heavenlyj^ courts. ^ The pitiless warders brutally separated the Prefect from his oaughter and, tying his hands behind his back, led him through the streets. Valeria followed him ai fax as the gates of the workyards. In her long, lingering "" *^^ ««^-- and'iendernS thatSfi^"?'^filled his T"''/'"^daughter's broken heart, then the heavy ""^"^^ °^ ^" '"^^^^y «^«^d .t ponderously «ponf^ the poor condemned man. " ri 140 VALEBIA Valeria remained long a^ if rooted to the spot, cold and insensible to all that was passing around her. She had to go away at last ; she slowly took the way to her fathers palace, but just as she was about to cross the threshold, the coarse employees of the public treasury msolently and contemptuously drove her from the old nome of her ancestors. Valeria noade no complaint, not a sigh escaped her, Dut, liftmg her eyes to heaven " she thought : The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests : but the son of man had not where to lay His head. " Shall I not be one of Christ's privileged ones, if He prepares a place for me at the foot of the cross ? The lamb does not open its mouth when the shepherd leads It away to be shorn, then bound and taken to be slaughter- ed And I, Lord Jesus, I " shall not complain either. Ihe more the waters of a spring flow over rocks and sand, the more clear and limpid they become. Thus does the love of God grow sweeter yet stronger in the soul in proportion as it is purified by tribulation and suffering. Certamly it wa^ not the loss of her immense wealth that Valeria wept over. What mattered to her the things of earth ? However her heart clung to two dear relics : the arco and the robe steeped in her mother's blood^ I i ""^ '"""' ^ ^ ^^'^'^^^ «« Christianity itself wrL^'nfT'f?''writmgs ; of the first centuries give us proofs of it. The acts of Saint '''''' 'T.^' °' "^^^ ^^^*« - *he year 107, tdl howX cK^' t bones ''^ and preserved then, like intrt^! abt treTurt Th"*"'^"^""^ ''^ ^^^* ^^'y''^' ^1^° <=<«^eesed the f^thfaith o^r^rSof Christ in.^^,tthe year 155, were also thus collected. ^"*^ the reh2"o5 tt ^ " ?t"^" ^^^' '^^P'^^^ '^^ ^^ of °^ ^^^.^"ty'smT ''^fa'ch were burned by S^ew rj the pagans who '"*° ''' ^'""^ ^:iZ tS. ^° - *° ^^^- theearth^ithou: X IN THE MAMBRTINB PRISON HI In vain did she implore the hard, heartless men who guarded the palace; they rudely refu;.d her The^cbu^ «membnu,ces wMch to her would have seemed? man The gentle lamb was silent once more : ^aswas it not the hour for ^ ' perfect resignation ? Whither was she to direct her steps ? The ^' oeacefnl ^'' ^^"* " '^^^"^ father'sTa^ reTnlfdretunied tot her memory, ^ and the tears filled her but that ev^ daughter of holy hope and lovmg heavenly chlriTy' submission to the divine will, filled the heroic of the 2 young Roman Virgin. "God of my heart, " she murmured softly with un- lifted eyes. " You see my soul before you 11^ Harde^ aid waste by the tempest ; all the flowerhave been ''°''' ^"* ^"' ^"^y ^^'^ ^i«e shoot ;h I grant^JfT^that/ it. ; may entwine itself more closely aromid that ''"^ ^" '^ ^° more'bright, wl^ mrfS'it'To^'°"rays for it, no more spring, no more warm more breezes no flowei., no more fruit. 0, my Gon, let me suffe^ but let your refreshing dews '' descend on my father "^^ ^'' 'y^'' b«di«^ed with teai^Mwtears looked . 'l^""^'' far beyond the vault of heaven while her LJ } J! 1 I i f t mir ; ii CHAPTER YII PAGAN FRIENDS ^IThe prefedus urhi, the chief magistrate of the city Vl/ which was mistress of the world, was then condemned to the hard labour which was usually reserved for the vilest slaves. The illustrious descendant of ancient Roman nobility, the most loyal, the most disinterested of the officers of the court, was henceforth to live amongst the worst criminals, amongst the scum of the city which Rome would not acknowledge. In the eyes of all, this unheard of act of violence surpassed all that the crowned tyrant had hitherto allowed himself. The patricians of ancient race and the proud senators felt themselves deeply wounded by this barbarous and cruel condemnation. If Heraclius's spies had been more numerous, they could have told their master what a wave of anger stirred all ranks of society and agitated even th lowest of the people. This act .^ roused strong feelings of re- volt everywhere. The crafty Greek would perha'js have shortened his lonj.; list of proscribed names, had he been better informed of the general impression, for if Maxen- tius passed the dec ee it was at the instigation of his odious Chancellor. The unjust condemnation of Rufinus filled the measure of dark hatred that Maxentius had accumulated, and all hopes now turned towards Constantine. The young hero of Gaul appeared to all eyes as their only savioiu-, • 144 VALERIA their only liberator from the increa^'ng tyranny of the 11-- monster who held Rome in terror. Pagans and Christians, nobles and plebeians, all had the same thought, all eagerly desired to see Constantine enter Rome soon and put an end to the despotic, san- guinary rule. It was remarkable that while all hearts pitied Rufinus's fate, no one thought of the unfortunate Valeria ; not one family offered the poor girl the shelter of a roof. The Chu;jh alone, with all a mother's love, had taken care of the orphan. When the pope. Miltiades, heard of the Prefect's arrest and the confiscation of his property, he sent the deacon, Severinus, in search of the young girl, and charged him to find a shelter for the poor child so hardly treated by fate. love of the Spouse But why say fate ; was it not rather the who invited her to share His sorrows so that she might one day reign with Him ? The Christian families of Rome would have contested the honour of receiving her, but the daughter of Rufinus the had but one thought : snatching her father from works of the imperial osilica. She could find peace impossibilities to nowhere until she h' i tried almost deliver Rufinus from ihat odious, lingering death. If the Church held martyrdom in high honour, she however counselled the employing of every lawful means for saving the lives of her children and rescuing them from the cruelty of their persecutors. Thus it was that we see Saint Cyprian proclaiming blessed, those who had been called to confess their faith with their blood and speaking with enthusiasm of the glory of martyrdom, while he him- self fled to preserve his life for his flock, until such time as God manifestly called liim to the honour of martyrdom. PAUAN FRIENDS 145 The indomitable couraRc of the Christians in the face of tleath (lid not prevent their using a thousand ingenious means of defeating the sanguinary projects of their ene- mies. For them there was but one insuperable barrier : offending God. Valeria recalled, one by one, the names of all her un- happy father's friends, but could not find one among them who might mve him. One had not the required influence, another had not the courage ; others, such as Symmachus, for example, were too much prejudiced against Christianity. For the first time the young girl sadly realized that the friends of the happy ones of earth cannot give them any help when misfortune has changed their fate, (irieved, but too Christian to give way to dis- couragement, Valeria determined to apply personally to the Empress. Maxentius's wife, treated infamously !)>• her royal spouse, had drunk of the cup of all bitterness. The young girl hoped that' trouble would have made her compas- sionate, and, however feeble this gleam of hope, she directed her steps towards the Palatine. All Rome knew what w:i.s the lot of the unhappy sove- reign who, repulsed by her lord and master, lived in the most secluded part of the palace. She was obliged, however, to appear in all her magnificence at the public ffites, the tyrant thinking thus to blind people as to her domestic happiness ; but no one was deceived, and in this the poor Empress found new suffering. I^When it was announced to her that the noble daughter of the Prefect Rufinus, and Sophronia, begged an au- dience, her heart was touched, and she ordered that the young girl should be admitted withor.t delay. The flower of compassion does not generally bloom 10 146 VALERIA in the gardens of happiness : stony ground covered with the thorns of suffering, is generally more suited to it. The Fjnpress, lying on a divan, had for all company, the two only slaves her aulocratic .spouse allowed her. She was tall, anil on her pale face, disfigured by suffering, h there remained traces of great beauty. However, the havoc made hy sorrow was so deep, that the paint on her -heeks aii 'o . dill . , not suffice to restore her much vaunted IV! !!>• ( tmess and lost attractions. * t the death of Romulu.s. her only son, she enveloped .1^ in long mourning robe.s and for some year refused to be comforted. Gradually, however, this great sorrow became less keen and the Empress sought to forget and to cheat herself with trifling amusements. She might have been seen, for hours together, being dressed by her 8la\es in her most gorgeous robes, and adorned ^ith tht> rarest pearls and most precious stones. ' i Still young, the unfortunate sovereign felt an impe- rious desire for joy and pleasure, she thirsted for affec- ) tion and vainly tried to fill the void which enclosed her. The two women, the fair Syra and the dark Numidica, were most assiduous in their attentions. Both practised magic and pretended to see particular signs in the near future, luminous rays, certain indications of hope and ' happiness ; but, alas ! it was a mirage which ever re- treated and of which she could never obtain possession. The profound seclusion in which she lived weighed heavily on the heart of the Empress : seeing no way out of it, not being able to draw from the source of truth the hope of a better life, she sometimes gave herself up to paroxysms of dark melancholy and the most frightful despair. PAGAN FRIENDS 147 Such was the state of mind of Maxentius's wife when Valeria presented herself. With her ey^ fixed on vacancy, she did not even perceive the steel mirror that Numidica held towards her that she might admire the artistic man- ner in which the slave had just braided her beautiful hair. All in the palace had left their mititress in complete ignorance of the jwlitical events which were taking place in the empire. Each one said, in an undertone, that the situation was Vtecoming mor ; critical each day ; she alone was never gi\cn any news. What then was her astonishment when an imprutlent word gave her an in- sight into the state of affaire and showed tliem to her under quite a new light, just at the time of Valeria's visit. It was not difficult for her to see the extent ot 'he misfortune which threatened her. The future appear' i 80 dark, that a horrible terror took {lossession of her, and her fears increased when she rcnieml)ere She wished however to see Valeria ; as soon as the young girl entered, she sent away her slaves, and, attract- ed by the gentle but noble bearing of her visitor, she listened to her attentively. Nevertheless, when Valeria had explained to her the object of her visit, the Emi)ress shook her head. " " Poor child ! dost thou then not know Maxentius ? she asked with a bitter smile. " If I dared to ask him to 1. Roman superstition, as widespread as it was deeply rooted, attached great importance to certain fortuitous events. Gallicanus, in a pamphlet on Constantine, says that the avenging owls drove Maxentius from his palace. Zosimus says that these malevolent birds, presage of evil, settled, in considerable nimibers, on the walls of the city. I! / 148 n I VALERIA spare thy father's life, he would immediately see a rival in him. Alas ! I am only an unfortunate woman,- alto- gether powerless, useless to all, unable to soothe any sorrow. My hands are loaded with chains ; they seem to of )t be gold, but their clasp is none the less cruel. Amidst the riches which surround me, dressed in purple and adorned with jewels, I envy the poverty of the lowest P'if ^'^ beggar the ; diadem I wear seems to have been placed on my forehead by pitiless fate but to weigh the more heavily on my sorrow and to make me feel all its im- ; " I placable irony. The Empress paused.. Everything about ii.r breathed the most frightful despair. Valeria, moved to the depths of her soul, forgot for an instant, before the dark waves of so much bitterness, the heavy cross which oppressed i[ her, and she tried to raise this poor soul to hope in a God Who is infinitely good. " What the poets say of father of the gods is a beauti- ful illusion, " replied the sceptical Empress ; "but it is only suited to the children of happiness. Learn, like me, to bear the hatred of fate with contemptuous indifference. /I; This advice is the best I can offer thee. When the burden of life becomes too heavy, poison or poniard can rid us " of it. While saying these sad words, the Empress rose, and, dismissing Valeria, gave her her hand kiss. 1 il to Valeria's Christian soul was overwhelmed, and inex- pressible anguish wrung her heart. " ! Poor paganism " she murmured, " and is that all •* ' that thou canst offer thy adepts in their sorrow, despair " and suicide. According to her gentle habit, her eyes sought heaven, rii to draw thence a more lively hope and to send up a hymn ii^ !!^i PAGAN FRIENDS 14& of tenderest gratitude. Her own trials seemed now but a light cloud, half veiling for one only instant, the dazzling orb which pours down on us both light and warmth. The deacon, Severinus, awaited the young girl outside the palace ; Irene accompanied him. " " Valeria, she said, " many of our wealthy families lovingly offer thee their rich homes, and yet I dare ask thee to share my modest dwelling, for I feel that I love " thee more than all the others. " Noble Irene, " replied Valeria, " thou knowest that nowhere more willingly than under thy roof, would I " eat of the bread of Christian charity. " It is then unnecessary, noble Lady, " said Severinus, " that I should make any offers ; I shall go at once and tell the holy Father what thy choice is, but I wish to say that everywhere the brothers would have esteemed it a " favour to receive thee at their hearths. When Heraclius presented himself at the palace, shortly after Maxentius's repast, with his list of pro- scription, he knew that he had arrived at a propitious moment. It is easy to divine that the condemnation the Chancellor most desired was that of the Prefect. His thirst for vengeance had been further increased by Rufinus'p stern refusal of all Sabinius's entreaties and he burneu \^ii,h the desire of satisfying it. He had hastened to tell Maxentius that the Prefect of the city was at the head of an odious conspiracy. Tne most irrefutable proofs left not the shadow of a doubt. At the same time, Heraclius placed in the hands of his master the minutes of the proceedings which related the offensive expressions, injurious to the Emperor, said to have been uttered by Rufinus during the course of the preliminary examination, and lastly he made known that ' ( 150 VALERIA the accused himself acknowledged that he was a Chris- tian. " " Cursed race ! cried Maxentius in a rage and strik- ing his fist on the table, " will they increase till ihey over- whelm us ! The club must crush them ! The Prefect of Rome a Christian ! Every nook and corner of my city i is gutted with the miserable brood. On one hand there is Constantino who continues to advance, and on the other this dog Rufinus who dares to insult me in open court ! Ah ! he shall pay dear for it ; I will stop his barking in his throat ! Cursed traitor ! Infamous wretch ! Let him be immediately employed on the hardest work of the vilest slaves at my basilica ! Let him be placed among the most criminal ! Dost thou hear ? Before evening I wish thee to present me another list of conspi- rators, a long list. Seize them, these birds of prey, in ! the farmyards, among the lords and senators. Christians i it or not, matters little to me ; in mj"^ eyes they are all guilty. If I do not hasten to twist the necks or these proud cocks, if I do not pluck these horrid fowls, they " will fly over my shoulders. Heraclius had no need of a stimulant to make him forward his dark work. We have seen how he had executed the imperial decree without any delay. A few hours later the TuUian^ prison was full of imfortunate prison- ers, so called conspirators, of whom a great number were Christians. At the head of them was Antonius Valerius, one of the highest personages of the imperial court. The Acta diurna announced, that same evening,[the two- 1. After the Mamertine prison the Tulliun prison was the hard- est, the one that inspired more terror. It was situated near the 1' Tiber, and its ruins now form the crypt of the church of Saint Ni- 1|: cholas. It is often spoken of in the acte of the martyra. il PAGAN FRIENDS 151 fold news of Rufinus's condemnation as a conspirator, and the avowal, made by himself, that he was a Christian. On reading this, the Romans shook their heads saying that the Prefect of the city could not be a Christian ; but a few days previously he had offered incense to Jupiter, in the temple of the Capitol, during the festivals of the Ludi-Romani. All Rome so well knew the fidelity and loyalty of the Prefect, that each one spoke in an undertone of a tale invented by the courtiers of the tyrant. On the other hand, the companions of Sabinius had all been witnesses of his mother's rage when her hopes of the marriage had been shattered. The coincidence was all too evident, and jeering remarks soon passed round. All were of one voice in accusing Heraclius whose old animosity, as a matter of fact, was well known. The Acta diurna announced also that Annius Annitus was named prefectus urhi to replace Aradius Rufinus. That evening, an armed band, paid by the Chancellor, went through all the streets shouting a well known cry : " The Christians " to the lions ! The Christians to tlie lions ! Symmachus was one of those whom Rufinus's condem- nation incensed the most. He might have been able to explain to himself the accusation of high treason, for he knew Maxentius's cupidity, but he would not believe that the ex-Prefect had renounced his gods. Did he not know him thoroughly ? Had he not been a witness of Rufinus's fidelity to the traditive religion of the state, notwithstanding the solicitations of his wife and daughter ? A friend of the condemned from childhood, he thought it was his duty to make an effort to save him. Overcoming then his repugnance for the imworthy Caesar whose court he proudly refrained from frequenting, the oowerful 152 VALERIA Senator determined to go and see him that very evenings Maxentius was surprised but flattered by the visit, if' ^ and he received him with a politeness not usual to him. Symmachus adressed him without any preamble. " Sire, " he said, " I hope I shall not excite thy anger by calling thy attention to a serious matter, a flagrant mistake. It is a question of an accusation which doubtless would merit the greatest chastisement, had it any founda- ivir tion, but ..." " Thou dost mean the condemnation of Rufinus to " " hard labour, interrupted the Emperor ; but if thy intervention in favour 6f one of thy peers does thee great f. honour, noble Senator, I know that Symmachus would never approve of treason, and that a conspiracy with the enemies of the empire would in his eyes render the traitors worthy of death. Besitles, does not the denial of the gods, who have made Rome great and powerful, merit the most horrible torments ? " added the Caesar hypocritically and craftily. " Be assured, noble Symmac- '.I < hus, " he continued with a still more feline manner, " that .t will be sweet to me to discover the innocence " of thy friend. " I know Aradius Rufinus from childhood, " replied the Senator, " and I vouch for his loyalty towards our gods ; I am acquainted with his most intimate convic- tions and I know that for him the greatness of Rome depends entirely on her fidelity to the religion of the " state. " And if I tell thee that this very day he cursed the gods, that he openly declared himself a member of that infamous and trebly villainous sect of Christians ? Will it be difficult for thee after that, to believe him guilty of " high treason ? if' \\\ PAGAN FRIENDS 153 " Pardon me if I make a request which* is perhaps presumptuous, " " replied Symmachus nobly ; would it be possible for me to hear this avowal from Rufinus's " own lips ? " The dog of a traitor has already been led to my basilica ; I ask for nothing better than that thou shouldst, with thy own ears, hear him insult the gods, I even desire it. Thou shalt also see around him the scum from " which I have delivered Rome. " And if he is really a Christian, " still persisted Sym- " machus, but declares himself ready to renounce his errors, " what will thou do, Prince? The Emperor, with difficulty, repressed a gesture of anger his ; savage eyes flashed fire under his thick eyp brows ; however he repressed the words which would have betrayed him and replied with ill-concealed vexa- tion : " I will spare his life. I give thee my word as an Em- peror for it. Go then ; I will send one of my centurions with thee, so that thou mayest be able to approach the " prisoner. At a sign from the Sovereign, the centurion Martial came forward. Of Herculean height and strength, he towered head and shoulders above "^ ^axcntius. Holding his enormous club in his hand, he nt one knee to the ground. " It is the pumilius (dwarf) whom 1 give thee for a companion, " " said the Emperor laughing ; see how tiny his key is, it opens all doors without any trouble and that " of Tartarus quite easily. And he pointed to the large club with a chuckle. Symmachus replied only by his silence to this coai-se jeet and took leave of the tyrant. Followed by his strange 154 VALERIA companion he directed his steps towards the basilica but not without some vague uneasiness. The Emperor's confident manner when he affirmed that Rufinus was a Christian made him thoughtful. But he told himself that even if the Prefect had had a moment of weakness, he could not resist his reasoning nor the hope of recovering his liberty. This God of the Christians, had He protected V. his wife against Maxentius ? Had he preserved his daugh- ter from sorrow ? Had He sheltered him from the Em- peror's despotism, from the cruel vengeance of his enemies ? Yes, it would be easy for Sjonmachus to convince his dear Rufinus of the gross errors of this impious sect, even if he had been foolish enough to allow himself to be seduced. 'I I Even while he gave himself up to these reflections, his eye sought for the ex-Prefect among the slaves who filled the vast workyard ; he finished by finding him loaded with hea\'y chains, covered with rags and working at an I I exaggerated task, although the shades of night were al- ready falling in this place of horror*. Symmachus's heart was wrung with inexpressible an- guish at the sad sight, but overcoming his emotion and approaching the prisoner he said : " Rufinus, thou art the victim of an odious calumny ; 1. The Julian Basilica, whose ruins have been found in the searches made in our days, is consecrated by the glorious confession of countless martyrs. It was there i that they found themselves before their judges, there that they heard their condemnation, there, in fine, that they endured the most frightful tortures, the most cruel and yet the most glorious of deaths. J I' If the stones could speak, what would they not have to tell us of the invincible courage of these martyrs of the faith ? We may then fearlessly say that the Julian Basilica is one of the moat hallowed places of ancient Rome. ! l-V.u PAGAN FRIENDS 155 my noble friend, I come to tell thee that thou art free, for it is not true that thou, Rufinus, art a Christian. Tell me, hasten to tell me that thou wilt follow me to one of the temples of our immortal gods, there to offer sacrifice and to give the lie, in the most unequivocal manner, to the infamous detractors. Maxentius has given me his " word as Emperor that on this condition thou art free. " Symmachus, " replied the prisoner, " what thou hast done affects me deeply, for I understand what a sacrifice thou hast made for our old friendship's sake, by going to the Emperor to solicit my pardon; but all is useless, for I am a Christian. It is the Lord Jesus whom I adore, Him who is the Eternal Truth ! These chains make thee sigh, I would not exchange them ^'or a " kingdom, for they prove my love and fidelity to Christ. Symmachus stood amazed ; astonishment, sorrow and something akin to indignation agitated him. "Is it true, is it really true ? " he questioned, " am I the sport of a wild dream ? But, no, that cannot be. — It is thou, my poor friend, whom sorrow has led into error ; Sophronia's death has affected thy mind ; I beg of thee, drive away these dark thoughts, be reasonable again. How canst thou worship as thy God, a criminal, a crucified who could not save Himself from a shameful death, who was not able to rescue thy wife, who cannot " protect thee ? " Trial, " replied Rufinus in a calm and affectionate tone, " trial, my dear Sjonmachus, has torn away the thick veils which enveloped me ; I now imderstand how beautiful Sophronia's and Valeria's faith is. It is that faith which delivers us, it is that faith which, ere long, will deliver all mankind. I am ready to suffer everything to confess it, and the more cruel my death 156 VALERIA shall be the more joyfully shall I hasten to meet it, for to save me Christ suffered still more. I thank thee, Synunachus, I thank thee for thy faithful friendship. May my God, the only true God, reward thy noble de- :.l,l votedness by giving thee a share in the love of the Lord " Jesus. Symmachus turned away his head, and, without a i , '1 word, without a look of farewell towards his friend, he retired dismayed, as if the Medusa had appeared to him. According to orders, the Centurion had assisted at the interview between the friends ; with his eyes nxed on Rufinus, silent and recollected, he allowed Synmiachus i i^ to withdraw. ,{' " " Noble lord, he then said to Rufinus, " tell me who can instruct me in the faith of the God whom thou dost " adore ? Rufinus had heard the faithful repeat TertuUian's " " words : The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians. They came to his mind now and he understood thai his sacrifice had already bonie fruit ; a flood of consolation flowed in full waves over liis generous heart, while he ex- plained to the soldier that he should go along the Appian way as far as the second millstone, and there ask for Miltiades, the bishop of Rome. " Go to him, " added the martyr, " he will teach thee all that it is necessary to know to become a Chiistian. Tell hin. (hat Rufinus is happy, very happy to ^^utTer for Christ, and that he recommends his beloved daughter, " Valeria, to the Pontiff's fat} ly care. He could not say more, ,: one of the guards of the workyard roughly pushed the ex-Prefect, telling him to continue his work. i I i\ The Centurion's eyes sadly followed the poor prisoner. 111 h \ n Ai PAGAN FRIENDS 157 but he saw his face brighten with heavenly joy when they struck him, and, filled with ailmiration, he said to himself that the religion which Rufinus had embraced must he very beautiful, the evidence of its truth very powerful. " " " How, thought he, can one calmly give up the rank of Senator, the position of Prefect of the town, of the first magistrate of Rome, renounce immense riches, a luxurious life, the pleasures of home life, and come and lead a life woi-se than death in this prison, and at last end one's days in the amphitheatre in the power of the wild beasts, before a threatening mocking crowd ! Is it possible, without some strength that is more than human, without the assistance of a God who gives, while still on earth, as a reward for the sacrifice, the courage and energy which are the preludes of future joy ? I too wish to have a share in this manly virtue, in these endless rewards. Not later than to-morrow I will go and seek the Pontiff of the Christians so that he may initiate me in this marvellous faith. The Centurion then hurriedly returned to the palace to take up his duty. The arrests, the rumours of conspiracies spread through- out the city, the outcry raised by Heraclius's band, had struck the faithful with consternation. These were surely the forerunners of a persecution. All the Christians, alas ! were not animated with the noble thirst for martyrdom that we admired in Valeria, when, with holy enthusiasm, she had gazed on the in- struments of torture still red with blood. Numerous apostates had denied the faith during the last persecution, and the maternal heart of the Church ^till bled painfully. It was then an imperious, a pressing 168 VALERIA duty for Miltiadai and his clergy to aaaiat the brethren in prison, to strengthen them in the faith, to succour them by an ingenious and fruitful charity, and to surround them with love and holy veneration. The deacon Vincent, had by means of gold, obtained entrance into the TuUian prison every evening, and, up^ to the present moment, hie heart had always been filled with the purest consolation. Joyous and hopeful, the Christians bravely awaited the hour in which they were to lay down their lives as a testimony of their faith. Resolved to endure every torture, they lovingly relied on the divine strength that the Christ had never yet denied to humble trusting souls. All persevered in prayer and in sweet charity, when an order, as strange as it was unforeseen, was brought to the prison from the Emperor. A decree of Maxentius freed all the prisoners of noble birth. We shall soon learn the reason of this extraordinary decision that no one could explain. But notwithstanding this imexpected release, the number of Christians still lying imprisoned in the Tullian victims unexpected- prison was very great ; and new came I ly to fill the places left empty by the decree. CHAPTER YIII THE fR:SC:.'ER6 ^Ij^ERACLius's hatred made him forget his customary ?9 prudence and cleverness. Either because of his eagerness in preparing his list of proscription or because of the frequent interruptions during his diabolical work^ the Chancellor had iiK«eribed in this pretended conspiracy, names that his craftiness should have reserved for more favorable circumstances. Me had bitterly to regret having comprised in it An- toniup Valerius for whom he had a deadly hatred, because of his proverbial loyalty, which, many a time, had brought about the failure of his shameful underhand practices. The Emperor was aware that Antoniiis Valerius was a Christian ; but his straightforwardness and his noble qualities compelled Maxentius's esteem and confidence. I The Greek, as we shall see, paid dearly for this arrest. Surula, Valerius's worthy mother, was a noble type of the Christian widow, fearing God and knowing no other fear ; one of those Roman ladies who, despising the corrupt society of that period, shrouded themselves in the practice of austere chastity, and martyrdom, which stood ever before them, gave theii virfiio an in- describable vigour. Surroun l by their children and their grandchildren, they bore on their brows the halo of peace which reigned around them. Thus does the orb of day, at his setting, brighten with his rays the clouds around him and the entire west. 159 Mii 160 VALERIA Heraclius's archers had come and seized the fervent ChriHtian in the midxt of his family, and had violently torn him from tlie arnw of hhn weepinj? younjj; wife, from his little ones who held him and wished to follow him. In her brave soul Surula would have found the courage to offer her son up to a bloody martyrdom ; but the •-It: high-spirited Roman matron would not allow that the honour of his name should be tarnished by an infamous calumny ; she would not permit that her beloved son should be considered a perjurer and a traitor, a cowardly conspirator. She topic with her the eldest of Antonius's children, Jason, a boy of ten years old, beautiful as the ilay, and went to the imperial palace where the audience she asked for was immediately granted. " Emperor, " slie said, throwing herself on her knees, " if my son had merited thy disfavour for not having fulfilled his duty, I would bow my head before the just " sentence, but. . . " Of what disfavour dost thou wish to speak ? " in- M terrupted Maxentius raising the matron, " thy son has my entire confidence and I know that the noble Antonius " is worthy of it. A gleam of joy brightened Surula's features. " Thanks be to thee, august Emperor, " she cried rising, " I can then be certain that the doors of the Tullian prison will open for my son, and his chains be " broken. 1 " " By Jupiter ! what dost thou say ? asked Maxentius " surprised at an arrest of which he was ignorant ; who I ! then has dared to lay his hand on one of the first officers of my court. What accusation can be brought against " the most honourable of men ? li ; ''I THE PRISONERS 161 " If even the shade of a fault hung over him, " con- tinued Surula, " his unfortunate raottter would not be bold enough to present herself before thee ; but thou sayest it thyself, and a'l Rome knows it an well, Antonius could not be a conspirator, his loyalty is far above such infamous cabminy. " These xvords recalled to the tyrant's memory the orders that luj h;i«l himself given Hrraclius, and his brow clouded. " " " Thy son is a C'hristian ! suul Maxcntius, and he has thus himself provoked the uccusatio'i of which " thou dosit complain. Birds )f a feather flock together. " Alas ! how can I, O Maxentius ! prove to thoo that the " Chiistiu.!.-! aro thy luor t loyal, thy most faithful ;;'.)jccts, said t'l*! inaron sadly. " See this child, tiio picture of his hiilu', dosi thou recognize him ? Thy clemency willed th;n he should be brougiit up vvitli the child which heaven took from thee ! It is over his innocent head, it is by the memory of the son Ilomulu.- (hat I swear • that Antonius has not betrayed tlicr r.o ! ".) been " more faithful to thee than he. Maxentius looked at Ja-son, his vu;! m; i '.( . framed the thick curls, >: >• '! with glossy his larg.; s tv i amid with intelli[.^i i ;;•:»; weeping, his delicate uf »u' ; vated the barbarian and subdued him as rui \- .::\ ".\r -ye tame wild beasts. In his prtetexta, his neck ornamented with the bulla or golden ball, which was attached to a chain of the same metal, like all boys of noble birth, Jason looked beautiful, beautiful as a vision. The Emperor could not take his eyes oflf the handsome child. He had preserved an idolatrous love for his only son whom death had taken from him but a short while ago. It was in his honour that he had built the magni- 11 " I 162 VALEBIA ficent circus on the Appian way ; it waa to his memory too that he destined the basilica which was being cons- tructed on the Forum at very great cost and which was to bear the name of Romulus. Everywhere in the palace the eye met I busts and portraits of the young prince im- perial and now, ; before him, stood his son's companion, he who had shared his studies and his games, so hand- some, so amiable. " Such doubtless " would Romulus have been, he said to himself, " if hostile fatality had not robbed him away " from his father. At this remembr^ce, the rude barbarian, the hard, unmerciful, cruel man was softened and teras filled his eyes. When Surula again fell on her knees, with a spontaneous movement, Jason knelt too beside his grandmother, and, lifting his small imploring hands, said in tearful tones : <, "Lord Emperor, I implore thee, give me back my father ! Maxentius thought he heard an echo of his son's words in this childish voice, he thought he felt Romulus's arms about his neck. " Yes, my child, " Nil murmured the tyrant who had for a moment " become a lamb, yes, thy father shall return " to thee. And he left the room without turning his head and saying : " Go, go, do not thank me. Yes, Antonius shall " re- turn to you. Alone and deeply affected, he stopped before a bust of Romulus, looked long at it, and, while the tears fell silently down his rough face, murmured : " Why, why did perfidious late take my child away tf i • THE PRISONERS 163 from me ? Without doubt he would have soothed my wild passions, he would have made his father a good and merciful sovereign ; but the hour which deprived me of him, brought somber darkness into my heart, it excited my temper as the hunter's dart irritates the bears of our forests. His smile would have softened me as the light of the stars silvers the leaves of the young elm. — But for thee now, Maxentius, every object is illumined only by the lurid light of the lightning and the fulminant " thunder which rumbles and bursts with a crash. A chamberlain came to rouse the Emperor from his reverie and to tell him that Heraclijus wished to be admitted to his presence. He came to present to him the list of the members of the pretended conspiracy hatched by Rufinus. The courtier's studied smile soon faded from his lips ; Maxentius came to meet him with frowning brows, eyes dark and wild. " Wretch ? " lie cried angrily, " who allowed thee to cast an offict^r of the imperial court into prison ? By Pluto and the infernal regions ! I swear that I who raised thee from the dust shall crush thee under my heel like a " vile insect ! — Give me that list ! And he violently tore the paper from the hands of the Chancellor who was as pale as death. While glancing over it the Emperor became more irritated, and Heraclius trembled in every limb. " Two Valerius ! — Two Cornelius ! — Five Annitius ! I — The cursed Greek ! He is decimating all the Roman nobility ! — Where are the deacons and Christian priests that I commanded thee to deliver to me ? Oh ! miserable fox ! thou hast succeeded in changing thy fur, but thy skin remains still the same ! Go immediately and set all aaaatii I 164 VALBIUA the nobles free, and if before to-morrow evening thou hast not imprisoned the archdeacon who has the key of the treasures of the Christians, and also a half dozen other chiefs of this infernal s« ct, I will show t hy former brethren " how the Emperor will treat thee, vile, mangy dog ! Heraclius made off without giving the Emperor time to add another word, and he was seen to slip noiselessly out '^'J of the palace like a hur ted cur. When he felt himself safe from all observation, he gave free course to the rage which consumed him, " " " Cursed tyrant ! he exclaimed, did he nof tell me himself to lay hands on the nobles ? To plunder the senate particularly ? Who then could have made )um change his mind ! — Ah ! I have it ! It is Symmachus ! He was seen to enter the imperial apartments. The wretch has succeeded in intimidating Maxentius, and now that odious barbarian blames me for it all. Why s it that after so much careful calculation and cunj.tng, after so many crimes that I have accumulated ia order to open a way to a safe and brilliant future, fate makes use of my own hands to pile up the stones which close every means of egress, and what is more, to erect the scaffold for myself lili perhaps. I wished at any price to avoid this new perse- If cution of the Christians, since Constantine began to threaten us. I have wished to reserve for myself a bridge of safety to lead to him whom Fortune seems to favour. But I dare not hesitate now. Victims must be thrown down the monster's throat, to prevent him devouring me in his rage. If I could at least lay hands on one deacon and one priest and thus satisfy the glutton's appetite ! If I could but prevent a real persecution, I would succeed no doubt in gaining Meltiades over and thus obtaining " H his protection when necessary. I ) . ! i ] M i^ THE PRISONERS 165 Heraclius well knew where the dignitaries of the Church lived ; but it was well known that the Christians had already placed them in safety, as also the priests and the deacons. The best thing would be to go to the cemeteries where the mysteries were celebrated. He decided that those on the Appian way would be best, and gave orders that at the earliest hour, the next morning, the most expert of the archers should be sent there. The emissaries therefore found themselves, before sunrise^ watching at the entrance to the cate ombs of Saint CalixtUB. They had just arrested an oi . --lan, the deacon Severus, but they were soon compelled to let go their hold and make off as fast as their legs would carry them, if they did not wish to pass from life to death them- selves. The fact was the more curious as the Christians never defended themselves by force of arms. They came all bruised to relate their adventure to Heraclius. " We were already rejoicing because we had laid hands on an old deacon, " said the chief of the band, " and we were arranging to bring him to you when a Centurion of the imperial guard, as tall and strong as a giant, seized us by the chest and lifting us up, one in his right hand and one in his lelt, began to play with us as if we were ossicles, knocking o..r backs together ; all the bones in our bodies cracked. Then, throwing us half dead into a corner, the monster fell on our companions, and if the prisoner him- self had not restrained him, they would not now be of the number of the living. It was thus that this Centaur delivered the old man and then accompanied him into the " town himself. Heraclius made the unfortunate archers feel all the 1 : 166 VALERIA weight of his anger ; he called them cowards, even though they showed him the wounds and bruises that attested the veracity of their story. The Chancellor was sure however that the adventure would put Maxentius into a good humour ; he knew of old how much the Emperor delighted in the feast of prowess of his Hercules and to what a pitch they could Pl|! raise his mirth and amuse him. " When you are called before the Ca)sar, " he said to the archers, " do not fail to explain how this fellow almost reduced you to powder, omit nothing ; reproduce the scene to the life and show him how you have been bruised. . It is the only way of getting out of the " trouble and saving your heads. When tho ('hancellor was obliged to present himself before the lunperor in the evening, he had posted his men in the vestibule, ready to answer the first call. il Heraclius Ijegan V)y complaining bitterly to the Emperor that one of the centurions of his guard had prevented the execution of the orders of his divinity ; and he then recounted how the archers had been constrained to let Severus go after he had been arrested. As the wily (Ireek had foreseen, Maxentius was highly amused at the exploits of his Hercules, and his loud bursts of laughter reassured Heraclius as he was telling the barbarian of the misadventure of the soldiers. " Well, " said the Emperor laughing, " I must question i; ' t my criminal to be able to judge from my own knowledge " of the case ; send for him. Martial soon entered, and saiv'.ting the Emperor, stood .1 - motionless before him like the pillar of Hercules. Without I any obsequiousness as without any ostentation, he waited in silence till Maxentius had finished inspecting him from < r^ 1^ 1 , i V THE PRISONERS 167 head to foot. The tyrant laughed, showing his large teeth ; it was evident that he was proud to possess this athlete of extraordinary height and strength, and he looked at him with a complacency that he did not try to dissimulate. " " Go on now, he said to Heraclius, " do your office " of accuser. Heraclius complied, l)eing careful not to omit any comical jwints. Martial listened unmoved, and his face betrayed no emotion. When the Chancellor had ceased speaking, the centurion, with a sarcastic smile that did not escape the Emperor, said in his turn, slowly and with imperturbable calmness : " As these men refused to release the old man, quietly and without any violence, I put them a little aside ; but as thou canst see, Ctesar, I took great care not to break either their arms or legs, a thing I could have done much more easily than a cat can crush the bones of a mouse, if " I had not been careful. " " But, replied Maxentius, laughing still more heartily, " thou didst knock these two men together, so much and so well, that they did not recover consciousness till " about an hour after escaping from thy grasp. The poor archers, desirous of obeying Heraclius's in- junctions, enforced the Emperor's words by such a piteous expression of face and by representing Martial's exploit with such comical gestunss and contortions, that Maxentius was more than delighted. " Well, " said the Hercules, turning towards his victims " with unmoved coolness, perhaps I seized you a little more roughly than I meant to do ; one cannot measure " such a thing quite exactly, Maxentius's formidable bursts of laughter so terrified the complainants that they fled and the Emperor did not I 168 VALERIA think of recalling them, so captivated was he by the charms of his barbarian. Martial added : " The companions of these two, seeing what I could do, scampered away ; and that was the best thing they could have done, for I might have lost my calm self-possession, and it would have been easy for me to send the toads " flying over the garden wall. " I must punish thee, however, " said Maxentius, " for thou didst prevent these archers from doing their " duty. " My Lord, " replied the centurion, " he whom I ac- company is under my protection, \mder that of a Hercules, " J and therefore under that of the Emperor. " By the club of Hercules, thou art right, my gallant centurion, " exclaimed Maxentius, " and the rogues should thank thee for not having crushed them like fleas, between these two great cudgels that Jupiter gave thee li " as hands. Quite pleased with the diversion that the gods of r Olympus had procured him, Maxentius continued to look proudly at Martial. " " By Jupiter ! said he, "a hundred guards built on " Ht this model would put Constantine's legions to flight. f Heraclius hastened to take advantage of the tyrant's good humour to efface the recollections of the previous day's anger ; he presented a magnificent programme for the imperial fetes, written in letters of gold on a purple tinted parchment. The Kmperor was satisfied, and, Martial's story contributing to it, he forgot his anger against the Greek, who was restored to his good graces. The fox had aimed well. Maxentius pushed forward the work of the Basilica with THE PRISONERS 160 feverish activity however ; one might have said that he was struggling against some secret apprehension, and that fate showed him another master of Rome who would finish it for another purpose'. The immense ruins of this edifice may be seen to-day ; the original entrance looked on to the coliseum. The absis, opposite, was transformed into a storehouse for hay, and is quite separated from the other ruins. The building of consisted three parts ; eight Corinthian columns, upheld by enormous pillars, sup- ported the central dome which was eighty-two feet in diameter. Paul V placed the last of these columns on the square of Sainte Marie Majture. The dome, the nave (also divided into three parts), and the st('i)s leading to the Forum have also been preserved. Quite near the basilica, towards the Capitol, the temple of Peace and the office of the prcrfedus urbi were situated. A plan of ancient Rome was found there, engraved on marble, and is pre- served in the Capitolinc Museum. The first rays of the morning sun scarcely gilded the peaks of the Latium mountains, when thousands of slaves and prisoners began to lift the stones and marbles, while others prepared the mortar or raised the scaffolding. The pitiless guards overwhelmed them with blows, and the backs of these unfortunates, furrowed by the long leather thongs, often streamed witii blood. Nightfall did not put an end to their tortures, and their labours contimietl far into the night, in order to fulfil Maxoiitius's orders ; many among these unfortunates succumbed under the work and the tortiu-es. 1. The basilica was in fact finished by his conqueror who gave it his own name. 170 VALERIA The Christians tried in a thousand ways to soften the lot of those of their brethren who were condemned to these terrible labours. They did not retreat either before sacrifices or dangers to obtain this end, and Gor» blessed their endeavours'. They won the guards with gold, and succeeded in relieving the sufferings of their dear martyrs, with the exception of one. The merciless orders given by Heraclius exacted such vigilant watchfulness on the part of the overseers that it was impo.ssible to approach Rufinus. How much ilid the ex-Prefcct, whose faith and love in- creased in proportion to his fidelity vmder his trials, envy the happy lot of three of his companions in misfortune on whom the priest had been able to confer baptism and give holy Communion. He was consumed with the desire orders were of eating of this Bread of the strong ; but the so severe that all attempts failcfl. Each (lay, poor Valeria took her place on the lowest stej) of tlic Palatine staircase, opposite the works of the her old II basilica ; she spent long hours there, following father with her eyes, and her heart was crushed with grief at sight of the cruel treatment to which he was ''t subjected. How joyfully would she have taken his place. zeal of 1. A letter of Saint Cyprian's witnesses to the touching the Christians for the prisono'.s. The holy bishop of Carthage mo- " " not to lose all. derates their ardour : Do not ask in-atiably so as " Take care, " he continues, " be cautious. To be more safe, let the priests who celebrate the holy Mysteries in the prisons, beside It I: I the confessors of the faith, go there one at a time rarely accompanied change both time and place, so that by a deacon ; let them evtn " by these changes in our asscniblios, we avoid being discovered. In five other letters, the holy Bishop gives still clearer counsels for the conduct of the Christians towards the prisoners. The treasures of the Church were specially intended for their relief. TH£ PRIBONEBS 171 But, alas ! not only could she do nothing, but no deacon, priest or Christian soldier, not even the good centurion Martial, could succeed in exchanging a simple word with Rufinus. Seated then, with her eyes fixed on the prisoners, I she watched every opportunity to show the most dearly loved of fathers, by a gesture or a sign, how much his daughter shared his sufferings. An hour came however, though all too short, alas ! when Rufinus' sufferings were mitigated, thanks to an unexpected intervention. Valeria's daily visit to her father had not escaped Sabi- nius. As superintendent of the imperial works, he visited the workyards and had noticed the young patrician watching her ix)or father. He understood the greatness of her grief ; his frivolous, inconstant heart could not remain altogether insensible before the tlcep misfortune of the father mid the daughter, and, profiting by the latitude allowc The next day, without the young girl suspecting it, he followed her at a distiutce, and when he saw the miser- able dwelling which the once wealthy patrician entered, Sabinus could not help but feel deeply moved. That evening, fortune having sniiled on hiiu at n!ay. he sent a slave to Valeria with the sum he won. Sii»=? was absent ; Irene received the messenger, and, loHrnin^; whence the money came, she indignantly refused the purse filled with gold. " Go and tell your master, " she cried, " that the ex- Prefect's noble daughter will have nothing to do with 172 VALERIA father hifl gifte. Ib it not sufficient that he has had her condemned to the lowcHt work, of the vilest slaves, that he hw» reduced her to indigence ? Must he now insult her misfortune by this revolting alms, with this money " stained i*ith blood and mire ? The slave retired and faithfully repeated her words. Sabinius, stung to the quick swore to be revenged. He soon discovered who Irene was and asked his father the place to tell Maxentius that he could inform him as to of abode of the mother of the young centurion who carried Constantine's standard, that standard under which the enemy waa marching from victory to victory. Maxentius ordered Irent^ to be cast into prison and condem.^ed her to be immolated in the circus, at the same time as the other ChristianB, for the anniversary ffetes of his coronation, that was to s.'iy two days later. Sabinius's rage he This was not sufficient to satisfy ; turned again on Rufinus like an infuriated viper, and ordered the guards to give him neither peace nor rest, to redouble their inhuman treatn' i»t and to lacerate \vm with the whips. But quiet by no means reigned in the palace of the 1 war was ever more alarming. Cajsars ; the news of the Constantine was marching on Rome, and Maxentius's before the victorious advance of i legions were retiring the young Cffsar. The dark omens which had terrified the empress troubled alec the optimistic hopes of her :i asked himself, not without imperial spouse , and he terror, if the a- *u-s were not deceiving him. His legions were superior in number to those of Constantine and their position was really stronger, but notwithstanding these " advantages, would he be vanquished ? — If the " Gaul, who was ptirsuing the retreating imperial army, penetrated lifi 1Uk 1! THX PRISONXRB 178 into Rome, would he not take possession of his sacred person ? — After conducing to the triumph of his enemy, would he not be exposed to the vengeance of the Romani who were exasperated by his cruelty ? — or perhaps strangled in the Mamertine prison, or condemned to die there of hunger ? These thoughts tormented his alarmed imagination like so many Furies. " I can Hoc by the Appian way, " he said to himself, " " that is still free. Then he fought with stubborn resi tance against these terrors and hiw own projects. His fate bound him to Rome, the pagans would have said. . . we, Christians, we would think that God's justice awaited him there. To know with certainty what would be his fate, Maxen- tius resolved to resort to a means as frightful as it was criminal. By it the augurs affirmed, the spirits would be forced, in spite of themselves, to unveil the future without dissembling or deceit. Or(l(>rs were given to prepare everything with the greatest secrecy for the following night. MiatOCOPY RESOLUTK3N TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) y. 1.0 i» yj2 iy£ :!ui £ Its 12.0 u HII :: jfi'ii".!, ii I.I 1.8 1.25 ^ /IPPLIED IM^GE In c I^^- 1653 East Main Street S^ Rochester. New York 14609 USA ja; (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^g (716) 288 - 5989 - fax Hi! f ! " 1 CHAPTER IX SAVED ||rHE Christians who were called to martyrdom consider- ^iy ed their sacrifice a very small one when death imme- diately followed upon condemnation, but this was vrry rare. Ordinarily the confessors of the faith languished in fright Ml prisons o- worked with the slaves on the public works. Their sufferings were atrocious and surpassed all measure. The prison as well as hard labour meant slow death, a death so cruel that bloody martyrdom seemed a deliverance. When we look at the imposing ruins of the grand monuments of ancient Rome we forget too often, alas ' what sighs, and tears, and blood they cost. Multitudes of confessors perished on these works where they suffered unspeakable torments to remain true to their faith. From the first moments of his Christian life, Rufinus, as yet but scarcely initiated into our hol> -oligion, was subjected to this trial doubly painful to a -irivilegeH child of fortune who had so rapidly fallen fi r^ the highest pmnacle of honour to the lowest degree of sorrow. We have seen how Sabinius's revenge had rendered his condition still harder it ; had become intolerable and the once strong powerful man was soon reduced to a skeleton. The certainty that his end was approaching would have filled him with joy, had he been reassured as to the fate of his beloved daughter. Valeria herself was much changed. She was like a 176 VALERIA flower that has been cut down by the scythe and with- ered by the burning rays of the sun. Irene's maternal compassion was without doubt a support. This grand Christian opened before her eyes vistas of faith and ra- diant hopes which strew the royal way of the cross with heavenly flowers. With that prescience that God has placed in the hearts of mothers, with that second sight which seldom deceives them, she assured the young girl that Constantino would enter Rome and set Rufinus free. The Roman matron trembled with emotion at the thought that Candidus, her son, bore the labarum which was to deliver the eternal city and convert it. Her burning words, her deep conviction touched her companion's aching heart and roused her. imperial fete as she did It was two days before the ; every day, Valeria ascended her calvary and, seated on the Aventine stairs, sought with anxious gaze her father's form. For two hours her eyes vainly wandered over the crowd of unfortunate prisoners, Rufinus was not there. had he fallen power- A thousand fears assailed her ; the less in some obscure corner ? Had he succumbed to blows ? Had death, far from every compassionate heart, closed his eyes ? Was he lying ill and abandoned, without beside food, without care, or alas ! worse still, having him barbarous guards who were happy to add tortures to iiie sufferings of illness ? Her heart torn by mortal anguish, the poor girl felt U } ^Id perspiration bathed her herself growing faint ; forehead and mingled witn the tears that flowed down her cheeks. Indifferent to the cold curiosity of which she was the object; the daughter of the Valeri slowly des- cended the long stone steps, when she was stopped by Rustica, the young woman from the Transtiberian quarter. i J.;! ' SAVED 177 Under pretext of gathering the shavings let fall by the workmen, the poor weaver penetrated into the workyards, and profiting by the slightest circumstances to escape I the eye of the guards she carried help to the Christian prisoners. More than once the distrustful warders had driven her away with blows from their whips ; but the bravo woman would not be discouraged and with ad- mirable perseverance, began again her work of mercy. Very lively and spirited, she baffled the guards, and her replies, which amused them, put them on the wrong track. W\wn Valeria told her of her great anxiety, Rustica formed the project of snatching Rufinus from his horrible life. Charity is ingenious and can work wonders. The thoughtful brow of the Transtiberian suddenly cleared, " she had soon conceived a plan. Yes, yes, God will " help us, she said joyfully, while Valeria tremb'-'ng, " looked questioningly at her. My project is a bold one, even perilous, " continued the young woman, " but heaven will be propitious. We must have the darkness " of night in order to succeed. Rustica was about to tell Valeria what her idea was, when she thought that she woul I porhap? give her false hope. Interrupting herself therefore she said that she would have to consult her husband first and, with him, think over the best means to adopt for succeeding in her eutcprise. " You cannot think, " she added with sweet complacen- " " cy, how intelligent and yet how prudent Mincius is. Valeria did not dare to question her and full of grati- tude gave her the last piece of gold she possessed to help her in her enterprise and enable her to procure some cordial for the prisoner. 12 178 VALERIA The waggons bringing the materials had no right to pass, during the day, through the streets of Rome, which were then so narrow, and in order not to impede traffic etc., they came in during the night. It was thus that the carters engaged for the works of the basilica were exclusively employed during the night. "Mincius must know a great many of them, " said Rustica to herself, for the sand quarries were just beside the catacombs " 1^.. ; why should he not get one or other of them to lend his cart to the fossore for one night ? Doubt- less the man will ask for nothing better than to sleep, if " he is well paid for his rest. While maturing her plan Rustica arrived at her home ; she found Mincius engaged in engraving an inscription on a marble slab. His tool was defective and his unskilled hand did but very imperfect work in ^pite of the good will and patience of the worthy fossore. The epitaph destined for a child, " bore these simple words : Eugenius, thy soul has fled there where it is good to be." This brief sentence told of the only hope of the weeping parents. The letters were fairly well done, but the dov3 which Mincius had tried to add was scarcely recognizable. The young wife smiled on seeing it, and her husband laughed in his turn. " The olive branch can be made out, " he said, " that will help to make people understand that my bird is in- " m tended to be the dove of the ark. Rustica did not try to continue the pleasantry, she was too much absorbed in her gr^ xt project. " Thou hast returned very late this evening, " said the fossore noticing her " preoccupied air ; is there anything " new ? Rustica told him of her meeting with their young bene- saved! 179 factress whose anxiety was heartrending, and then she explained the plan she had formed. To her great joy, Mincius approved and, with his accustomed zealous charity, promised to set to work at once to see what he could do. There was no time to lose, the fossore there for directed his steps immediately towards the sand quarries on the Appian way. During 'his time, Rustica returned again to wor.cyards, where she appeared to have nothing to do but make an ample store of shavings. While s' e bent down, seemingly altogether absorbed in her work, her eyes sought to find the place where she could meet Rufinus at the hour she wished. When, the following night, the long train of carts laden with earth, stones, bricks, etc., entered the enclosure of the basilica, by the great gate, Rustica might have been seen seated on one of these heavy vehicles, reins and whip in hand. She was almost concealed by an ample mantle of coarse material and her pretty face was hidden by a large Phrygian cap such as was then worn by working- men. Beside her she had placed a hydria (amphora) full of good, old wine. " " Hoa ! mockingly cried the guard who stood at the gate to identify " the carters, hoa ! a handsome amazon " as a driver ! where then is the carter ? And he held his resinous torch up into Rustica's face. " Where is the carter, where is the carter ? " repeated Rustica not appearing at all put out by being stopped. " If fortune smiled on him and threw him into the arms of Morpheus, while filling his purse as if he had worked, why should he deprive himself and not sleep like a dor- mouse and snore at his ease ? Tell me, my good man, " wouldst thou not be content to do the same ? 180 VALERIA " It is thou then who dost drive i this handsome hack instead of thy husband ; but by Epona (the goddess of " horses), cried he, suddenly lighting up the young vvomans' pleasant face. " by Epona ! I recognize thee in spite of thy red cap, which for that matter suits thee perfectly. 1^: Come, let me see if thou art not carrying anything to the " Pi Christian prisoners. " "Ah ! cried Rustica with a frank laugh and mockingly " showing him her jar, the drinkers' wick is dry and he wishes to have some of my oil ; but I have too much need of my oil which protects me from the cold of the night, thou shalt not have it. Be off ! Take thy copper coloured face quickly to where they strike money tliere ; thou canst procure thyself a hydn'a full to overflowing to re- fresh " thy throat ; as for my wine I mean to keep it. The carters burst out hiugb^-^g, and Rustica, giving her horse a vigourous stroke of uer whip passed by at a gallop ; before the guard had time to reply to her jeering words, the Transtiberian was far away. Arrived at the place for ui?!oading, good Rustica left her work to an obliging carter, and, supplied with a small dark lantern, anxiously began her search for the ex-Prefect. Notwithstanding her precautions to avoid any meeting, she found herself, unexpectedly, before a number of slaves lying one over another, and thus taking a miserable rest under the eye of a vigilant sentinel. His eye, accustomed to the obscurity, saw her pass in the darkness of the night and a formidable, " who goes there " made her start. More quickly and Ughtly than the mountain roe she slipped behind a heap of stones, and the sentinel thought that he was tie victim of an hallucination. God watched over the brave woman and guided her ; was it not in Him she trusted and did not her unceasing IM SAVED ! 181 prayers rise up to His throne ? Rustica at last discovered the unfortunate prefect, but, great God ! in what a state I Attacked by a violent fever two days before, he had fallen in a corner and would have succumbed to the blows if the guards had not reminded the infamous Sabinius that the prisoner was to enhance the attractions of the circus games. The libertine therefore restrained his venge- ance in order the better to satisfy it, by the sight of the proud prefecius urbi stripped and exposed to the wild beasts in the Flavian amphitheatre, before the eyes of all Rome. He already saw in anticipation, the blood of his victim flowing under the teeth and claws of the wild animals or under the sword of the gladiator and, a wild beast himself, he delighted in his shameful victory. Rufinus, laid low by the burning fever, shaken by violent fits of ague and having nothing but a ragged mat to cover himself, awaited death ; he would have nished to see his daughter once more, to press her to his heart that would soon cease to beat, but he knew that was an idle dream. Perfectly resigned he piously accepted all the bitterness of his abandoned state, when a faint light fell on his eyes. Rustica, her little lamp in hand, was kneeling beside him. " Noble Rufinus, " she said in a low voice, " thy daughter is well, I bring thee all her love, she sends thee " this strengthening drink. While saying these words the young woman lifted the prisoner's head with angelic charity and the solicitude of a mother. " Hasten, and drink, " she said, " thou must get up some strength, for all is prenared for thy escape and we have not a minute to lose. Come, courage ! thy daugh- " ter awaits thee. i •wmm 182 VALKRIA She put on him a Phrygian cap, wrapped him up in an old Sagum of goats' hair, helpetl him to rise, and i)utting out her lantern drew him, with a thousand precautions, in the darkness, to the place of unloading The prisoner's weakness was so great that the hf\d often to stop and it was with great difficulty that he could go foward at all. A few words sufficed for Kustica to accjuaint with her project several of the carters on whom Mincius could depend. Besides, the people oi Rome esteemed and loved Rufinus for his justice and his integrity. These good fellows therefore, wished for nothing better than to lend a helping hand and favour his escape. Rustica's cart, filled with '' rubbish, was waiting, ahe made the prisoner get in, after telling him that he would find his daughter with Irene. Our heroine told him to lea/e his cart in the hands of the other drivers when he arrived there, and then the train started. tn Rufinus thought he was the plaything of a dream and mechanically .lUowcd them to do as they plea.sed. God helping, he parsed unnoticed and arrived at the Aventine without ^ any "venture. There the carters helped him to get down. " Noble Rufinus, " they said, " thou hast always been compassionate towards the poor, thou didst always see 111 that bread was not wanting in Rome, thy worthy spouse sought the poor and wretched in their dwellings, to com- fort and help them, be thou blessed then and may fortune " guide thy steps. With anxious eyes, Rustica followed, as far as she could, the cart that bore Rufinus away, and her heart < led with emotion, beat as if it would burst when she saw it quietly pass the guards that watched at the gate. Then w .h 8AVKD ! ia3 what a .wling of Rratitude did not her hymn of tJ.anks- riw! givinR up to heaven ! Finally she took her seat on the hist cart, ready to avert the !.u^i)icion8 of tiie porter wlio greeted her with a coarse jest aeconling to the custom of such persons. He was rather surprised to see hf . sitting there. " Well, that is curious, " " he cried, on seeing her, tliou a.t on the last cart now ! And what didst thou do " with thine own ? " If gcH'se and soldiers know how to nin in a file, the one behind the other, thinkest thou that my poor hack is less clever " than the old inhabitants of the Capitol ? " That is impossible, " " replied the ostiarhis, I looked too well, each cart had its driver " ; and then he angrily cried " ; May the executioner do away v/ith thee, thy " wine and thy senators ! One would have thought that he suspected Rustica of the trick she had just played him. The empty cart moved away rapidlj and Rustica laughing cried out : " ()h ! Oh ! how thou do.si sjxiak of senators ! How- ever it is not long since thou wast porte. at the palace " of one of them, wast thou not ? But Rustica was already too far away (o /* the threatening reply the man called out after tier. It took a long time for the Prefect to awak( n th- os- tiarins of Irene's house. At last he opened the do. .r uJv, but not without precaution and distrust. On s,. unknown with the Phrygian cap and strange c m. instead of allowing him to enter, he asked him wi^ te wanted. Rufinus simply replied that he had an important d - sage for the matron Irene. h 184 VALERIA " The matron Irene, " wtid the onUartuf>, " wnn arrested yesterday by ihe imperial archers who iiad orders to east " her into prison. This was a thunderbolt to poor Rufinus, and (juite distraught, he cried : " " And my daughter, my daughter ? " " What do I know of thy daughter? replied 1 lie i)orter who was in a bad humour and angry at being disturbed from his sleep ; and thereupon he shut the door rudely without troubling himself further about his interlocutor. While traversing the distance between the hasilica and the Aventine, Rufinus had thought joyf\ilI.' )f .seeing Valeria again, of taking her in his arms, and it sten.ed to him that blessed moment would make him forget all his past sufferings. The nearer he approached the more did this fill joy his heart. Alas ! it had vanishcil even before he could seize it. No doubt his darling daughter had accompanied Irene to prihon. Was this a new venge- ance of the Chancellor ? W hen his escape should be dis- covered, would not the two friends be surelv condemned to death ? Everjihing seemed to fail the imfortunate Prefect whose past greatness but rendered his present reverses the more terrible. A few minutes had sufficed to crush his dearest hopes ; had he then been delivered inmx captivity, and deathonly tobeawitDossof hisdaughter'fi sufferings ? His strength was spent ; hardly conscious of what he was doing, Rufinus said to himself that he had but to return and give himself up to the guards, to death ; that was the only hope left to the unfortunate Senator ! It was the hour in which he was utterly forsaken, the hour which the enemy of souls awaited to attack the soul of the new Christian with greater fury. ; SAVED ! 186 A flood of bitterncHH tiWM tho tillluliMl houI of tlu- I'rcfoct profound diirknesH «'iiV('lo|H'd liim iumI ^li uck liirn with fear. " Sfc " " tlii'ii, Hiiid Siituii, :i«-v and u.. li'Mand once for uli that chanco dircctH I cvenfH heie Aov ; the ficklo- IK'PK of l)hiid f:itc triflfs with tho iiappinc-is of men. Poor fool ! wilt thou .still bclicvo in the (Jod of the ('hrihtiann ? Would He forsake thee if He were Rood and powerful ufl " they my He is ? It wat* the fins ; e since the holy waters i Ijaptism had flowed over i ' .ow, that CloD had allowed the spirit of evil to tempt Kufiiuis as to his faith. IMinj-cr. the la.-^h, the tortures of the hnsiliea. he had borne all Iravely, and even with swdt eons)lation, re- menilerinK tlie love of his CJoD Who had ilied on the cross lor him. IIurniiiK with fever, he luid tliank«d heaven for thus shortening his life and allow ing him already a fore- taste of the eternal reward, ami the joy of .seeinjj Sophronia ngpiii. But at this n.oneiit a too lively hoi)e Kiving place to a cruel deception seemed more than he could hear. Illness which had broken down his bodily strength, ap- ,'' ired to have deprived his .«oul of the power of resistance. -lowever, his own angel guardian, with Sophronia's and Valeria's fought against Satan, while the young girl's prayers rose ceaselessly to the heavenly throne and fell again in showers of grace on her jKJor father's bruised soul. If in the Mamcrtine pri.son. while still a i)agan, Kufiiivis had aln'ost fallen a prey to despair, now, for- tified by baptism and prayer, enriched with the n-erit of his sufferings and ])y his faith, he v>a.s to triumph over tlie suggestions of the infernal enemy. The Prefect rai.sed his tearful eyes to heaven and cried, with that deep faith and trust which has never failed to move divine mercy : I, ., 186 VALERIA " Oh ! my God, " ;.| do not let me fall into temptation ! Divine Providence answered him immediately. Rustica had followed Rufinus as quickly as she possibly could, and arrived breathless just at this moment, happy at the thought of witnessing the joy of the father and the daughter. What then was her sorrow on learning from poor Rufinus, the events of the day before. The brave woman, however, showed him at once that there was nothing to prove that his daughter had been arrested. Did she not meet her the evening before at the work- yards ? It might well have been that Valeria had not yet returned to Irene's house when the archers seized the ' noble matron. After imparting this ray of hope to Rufinus, Rustica 1'^ pressed him to follow her to her poor home and accept a shelter there, promising him at the same time that she would set li) out seek for Valeria as soon as it was day. Rufinus accepted ; Rustica's words were as a star in the dark night. Leaning on his deliverer, for his weak- ness was !•> extreme, he walked painfully forward. A thous- and times did he renew his act of submission to the divine will. " " I beg of you, said he to Rustica, " say the Pater noster with me, my head is so dazed that I cannot say it alone and like ; a child, the proud Roman repeated the holy prayer after the humble wife of the artisan. " Oh ! yes. Lord, yes, my God, may Thy will be done, it " whatever may be ! he continued. The gong sounding slowly in the tlistance announced midnight. At this same hour, a mysterious looking indi- vidual mounted the staircase in the imperial palace care- fully carrying a parcel under his mantle. The guards allowed him to pass notwithstanding the lateness of the if ! SAVED 187 hour, and asked him no questions ; Maxentius awaited him. Beside the sovereign stood a man with an eastern look- ing face his head ; was covered with a Phrygian cap richly embroidered with gold and his thick black hair fell down over his shoulders. " Dost thou at last bring up what we want ? " asked Maxentias impatiently of the newcomer. " He has not yet drunk his mother's milk, " repUed the mysterious individual, and with a frightful grin he placed a newborn child on the table. " Let us make " haste then, said the Emperor to the Oriental, " and seek in his young entrails to discover the " omens of the future. An hour had scarcely elapsed when the same dark mes- senger carried away the mutilated remains of the little being who had been sacrificed to imperial superstition. He concealed his parcel as he had done on entering the palace, and disappeared mysteriously in the direction of the Tiber. Maxentius who until then had been a prey to the most poignant disquietude, went to take his rest with a mind at ease. The magian had carefully consulted the palpitating entrails of the innocent victim and had drawn the happiest auguries from them. He predicted signal victories for the Emperor and Maxentius already saw his proud rival be- neath his feet. The next day, in a dark, deserted alley a man was found assassinated and beside him the body of a newborn infant frightfully mutilated. This double murder, enveloped in profound mystery, excited the greatest agitation in all t he quarter. ' irl I ' I 188 VALERIA The officers of justice were soon on the spot ; the people of the neighbourhood, when questioned, replied that there had been a great noise during the night, in the midst of which they had heard these words : "Kill my child! — recompense given!" They added in a low voice that this double murder was committed on an imperial order. ' This inunediately stopped all enquiries. The men of St 5 t the law suddenly retired and wrapped themselves up in a profound silence with regard to this strange event. •i 1^' t i III ' ( W CHAPTER X BEFORE THE GATES Te must return a while to past events, in order to M' better understand those that are to follow. By order of the Emperor, the Chancellor had posted up the programme of the rejoicings which were to cele- brate the anniversary of the coronation of Maxentius. The long list of these fetes were placarded everywhere : on the grand staircase of the Palatine, the arches of triumph, the columns of the temples, the corners of the streets. The fetes were to begin only in eight days, and already a feverish agitation excited by these publications, was felt throughout the town, stirring the whole population from the highest to the lowest classes, old and young people and even children. Crowds collected before the placards, and those who could not read, waited for an obliging reader. Everywhere, at the baths, at the forums, in the shops, there was no question of anything but the games, the circuses, the gladiators, the races, the theatres, the names of the actors and the wrestlers, and the bets made on them. Everyone knew, however, that Constantine was ad- vancing towards Rome by forced marches, and that he was but a short way off, but no one troubled about this ; the approaching fetes absorbed all thoughts and were the only subjects of conversation. To speak frankly however, the Emperor's indifference 190 VALERIA explained the inconceivable heedlessness of the Eoman Iti people at this juncture. Depending on his augurers and astrologers, Maxentius felt certain of victory. He there- fore resolutely opposed Rufus's plan of awaiting the enemy between the city and the Tiber, and using the wide, im- petuous stream as a natural defence. This great and clever leader insisted long ; forced at last to yield to the injunctions of the tyrant, he encamped beyond the river, and with difficulty obtained permission to construct at least one bridge more, higher up than the Milvius. During this time, the most brilliant reunions succeeded each other at the Palatine, the nights re-echoed with the sound of the sumptuous banquets which the Emperor gave to his officers. He was often seen traversing the most opulent quarters in the midst of a joyous cavalcade, dressed as Hercules, a lion's skin over his shoulders, and going towards the camp to take part in the military evo- lutions. •I For one moment, however, his certainty of victory seemed to be shaken, it was when he heard that the ene- my's fleet had arrived in the waters of Centumcellse (Civita Vecchia) ; but he soon tranquillized himself at the remembrance of the auguries. What had he to fear ? The prognostics drawn from the entrails of the newborn infant could not be delusive ; had they not promised him U complete triumph ? It was thus that Maxentius consoled himself and drove away his fears. The Romans, in their turn, imitated the Emperor and remained tranquil ; they had long been accustomed now ' to leave the care of their destiny to the arms of i.y. legions. Indeed to fully understand the quietude c' e great city, mistress of the world, notwithstanding the military !ti^ i I,. -' i BEFORE THE GATES 191 events of the day, we must remember that the majority of the inhabitants had nothing to lose by Constantino's arrival, and a political revolution. Besides, whether the Emperor was called Maxentius or Constanune, the city reckoned none the less on having the :et( 3, and, as we said before, that was the chief point. However, many of the senators who were strongly at- tached to paganism, would have looked with an uneasy eye on tlie accession of the young conqueror ; Synimaclius was of this number. Though more indignant at Maxentius's conduct than the others, none counted more than he on Constantine's defeat in the decisive battle. " The " gods, he said to himself, " permitted Hannibal to present himself at the gates of Rome, and Brennus to enter as far as the foot of the Capitol, but there they shat- tered the might " of the enemies. But, added the noble old patrician " bitterly, if the shades of our fathers were to hear me, they woulfl answer that then our ancestors shed even the last drop of their blood to save Home from the arms of Hannibal and Brennus. What is Maxentius doing to defend the altar and hearth from the enemy of the gods ? How does he resist his rival ? Why, instead of depending on magic and oriental superstitions, has he not offered sacrifices and libations to the goddess of victory, and made vows to the other " divinities of Olvm- pus ? After his talk with Lactantius, Symmachus had begun to hope that if the gods employed Constantinc to deliver Rome from the odious xentius, they would afterwards dethrone the young so eign to place the empire again m the hands of one of their devoted worshippers. But who could this new master be ? Symmachus passed each one of the Senators in review before his mind's eve, but in i 192 VALERIA m • every one he found some obstacle, some weakness. Could he, Symmachus, then be the chosen one of the gods ? As for illustrious birth, he could compete with the greater number of his peers in ; wealth, he surpassed all. The patrician felt himself sufficiently powerful, sufficiently wise to hold the reins of government and was not astonished at the preference of Olympus. If ever the gods should turn m- the scales of Empire in his favour and place the imperial crown on his head, bo would know how to honour them, annihilate the enemies of Rome, both at home and abroad, embellish the temples and restore the sons of the " Qui- 4 rites " to their ancient greatness ! Thus, like another Trajan, he would live but for the welfare of h:s people. While flattering himself with these ambitious thoughts, 1 1^, Symmachus met Lactantius again. It was at the Forum, on a beautiful morning ; the sun gilded the roof of the temple of Jupiter Capitoline^ The Sejiator, stretching his hand towartls the shining cupolas and the superb fortress of the Capitol, cried enthusiastically : " Master, dost thou think that the Cruuilied will over bear sway from there over the ruined throne of Jui>itor ? Instead of our ever victorious Roman eagles, shall we one day, see Constantino's laharum waving ? Shall the, barbarians of the north raise their tents on the sacred 1. On the spot where the throne of Jupiter once stood, is now seen the church of the Ara Coeli which derives its name from a graceful legend. This church was formerly the palace of Augustus. Quite near the place where the hl'\ altar now st.nnds, the Sybil saw a golden circle around the sun ; and in the centre of the orb of day, a virgin holding an infant in her arms. The prophetess explained to the emperor that this infant would one day be the sovereign of the whole earth. Augustus had an altar raised immetiiately in honour of the Httle child, and forbade the people to adore the emperor as in the past. "" " fiEFOi. .HE GATES M rock ? No, no, a thousand times no ! Only to suppose such a thing would be rank folly, a frightful blasphemy against the power of our gods. Previously Lactantius had been silent before the im- petuosity of the zealous pagan, but this time his con- science would not allow him to hold his peace. " Allow me, noble Symmachus ! " he replied, " to answer the question indirectly ; the supposition thou hast just stated has then presented itself to thy mind ? Consequently, something tells thee that its realization is not impossible ? As for myself, I will go further, I am convinced the all powerful God of the Christians will establish His throne above the lying gods of Olympus, above their vain idols and the smoking ruins of their temples. " I see, " said Symmachus jestingly, " that years have not cooled the poetical imagination of our venerable master. " No, no, I am not dreaming, " continued Lactantius ; " as truth always finally triiunphs over error, thus the Christ, is eternal truth, will vanquish false who the gods ; " it is the empire that is crumbling away. Symmachus drew back a step. " How am I to interpret the words ? " he cried. " I searched the teachings of thy philosophers, " replied his interlocutor. " I could scarcely discover the faintest, most vacillating ht there, I then knocked at the door of Christianity, ana there, I immediately found myself flooded in waves of light that infinite Truth sheds in pro- fusion ; the fire of this sun cannot fail to dissipate the dark- " ness in which Rome and the whole imiverse is plunged. Synmiachus recoijed like a wounded lion and, with bit- 1 ter sarcasm, said that he did not in the least envy Lac- 13 194 YALEAIA tantiUB the light of hia sun and the power of a Jew who had been deified by oriental insanity ; to this criminal who had died en a gibbet, be preferred the immortal gods who had made Rome so great. " ^,^^ ?!^. "^'^ °'^'' ^^' K'^^te'"' " «aid the old n^an warmly. Mind and heart will prevail over body and matter. Rome enlightened by infinite Tiuth, will spread the light of truth over the whole world, and the peoples of all tongues and of all nations will gather together under one sceptre to obey the rule of an only and infinite God " Rome at the feet of the crucified Nazarene » For p'.ame then ! I regret that a man whose intelligence I once admirti could have been so led away anc' fallen mto such revolting " error, replied Symmachus assuming an air of cold contempt. " I always held the Christiana m horror, he continued, turning his back on his old maater let not thy ; shadow henceforth defile my face " Offended and blind with rage the Senator ascended the steps of the Capitol. But what had become of Valeria after her ireeting with Rustica ? Under the weight of the immense sorrow that wrung her heart, at the thought of the tortures imposed on her unfortunate, dying father, the poor child staggered along as if mebriated with suffering. In great misfortune, the human heart unfolds itself but with difficulty to hope, and falls easily into excessive anxiety. The young girl seeing Rufinus succumb to his torments, would almost have wished to hear that he had closed his eyes to the light of this world ; it would at least be the end of his martyrdom. Arrived at the place where the road branched off and fiSroBD THX 0ATX8 105 went up towards tbe Aventkie and Irene's home, Valeria stopped. " To-morrow, " " she said, I shall have to bury another martyr, I must prepare him his place of rest near my mother's tomb. " She then at once took the road leading to the Appian Way and the catacombs. On the way she met a man who h ved in the same house she did, and she asked him to tell Irene not to be anxious if she did not return by nightfall. Valeria was very far then from suspecting that at that very moment, the archers were throwing her dear Irene into prison. Taken away by the imperial sbirros, the poor woman did iiot even notice the horrors of her dungeon, so much was she overwhelmed by grief. The trials of her Ufe, which however had been so rich in crosses, faded away before the anguish which now oppressed her. Many a time had she visited the martyrs in these corrupt prisons, she had accompanied them to the place of martyrdom or their last home, and her heart had then .eaped with joy in the hope of sharing their fate. Why does her hand tremble now on touching the pa'm held out to her ? Why does her soul sink in anguish a:3 of death ? Why does the sweat of agony break out coldly on her brow ? Irene was a mother, she was awaiting her son ; but a few hours more perhaps, and, conqueror with Constantine, he might be in Rome, in her arms. Was he to go through so much peril only to find the mortal remains of his mother ? Was the sword of the executioner, which had been in turns, stained by the blood of his father and all tbe other members of the family, to be stained with that of his mother, without her being able to give one 196 VALBBtA I last word of counsel, to say a last adieu to her only son i I " CJood and merciful God, " cried Irene, her face bathei in ^ears, " spare my son who is still so young, deign to le mr press a mother's kiss on his brave brow. May Th; holy will be done, O my God ! but if it is possible, letthi cup pass from me. Is my poor child, seeking his mothe in the hour of triumph, only to find her robe stained by claws of the lion ? Will his kit^ses only fall on the coh stone of my tomb ? And yet, my God, may Thy will b done and not mine ; if the angel of death is to cany m away and break my son's heart at one blow, may it b not as I will but as Thou wilt. Is not the bitterest dro] of gall in a mother's chali- o that of consenting to th " deep grief of her child. Irene bowed her head and her will before the diviii will, and she bont beneath the weight of the sacrifice But if nature gave way, the strong soul of the Christiai fervently repeated the fiat of Gethsemane. Irene thought also of Valeria, of that delicate flowe so beaten by the storm and left alone, without sheltei without protection. The girl's heroism had inspired i truly maternal affection in her woman's heart, and think ing of her son, of her beloved Candidus, she dreamed of ; uni' n that would have fulfilled all her wishes. Alaa all vanished now before the dark future. During this terrible night, consumed with fever, Iren saw herself plunged in a sea of blood ; she thought sh heard the horrible laugh of the hyena and the roarini of the tiger. At last, towards mornmg, the God of all consolatioi visited the heart of his noble servant ; full and entir peace descended on her afflicted soul, and her ferven prayers rose up to the Most High. The heroic mothe BEFORE THE G«.TE8 197 askod tho Lonl to phowor IIIh Rrnoc as an nhnndant (low on the head of her l)olovr(l child and then thon^ht only of consummatinK her wiorific*'. Arrived at the renietcry of v'nlixtus, V!i!«ria slipjxHl unnoticed into tin* necret entrance that the ("hriHtians had made since the soldiers had filled \ip the old staircase. Acctistonie cupied in preparing a pohjavdmnn , or common grave for the martyrs who would fall two days later. Thuy would be the first victims that the persecution, after several years of peace, would give to the catacombs. At Valeria's request, sev« ' of the fonsores followed her, filled with religious compassion, an(i l)egan to excavate Rufinus's tomb beside that of Sophronia. While the girl, through her tears, watched her beloved father's last resting place being prepared, her eyes fell on the ins ription that Rufinus, while stili ? pagan, had himself engraved on the tombstone of his nobie w'fe : Semper vives in Deo (Thou shall live forever near God). Now that beloved father was a Christian, and he was about to die as a confessor of the faith. The merciful decrees of Providence gradually imfolded themselves before Valeria's soul ; she saw the mysteries of grace and how her mother's death had purchased her father's soul. Could she refuse to humbly assent to her double sacrifice, however hard it might be ? Had God not every right over His new conquest, and did not Christ, the conqueror, offer the palm of martyrdom to Rufinus, in order that he might reign with Him for'-ver ? Half an hour after Valeria's arrival at the catacombs, Sabinius and several of his dissolute companions traversed the Appian Way ; they were going to see the decorations 108 VALERIA of the circtis, which were being actively piwhed forward for the approaching f^-teH, an.l also the hornes that had just »)een taken tht-re. Hundreds of HJaves carried away the uwlesH material, remove, the scaflfoldinK. polished the nmrhle and K-ive the finhshinK touc}.e« everywhere. Quito n crowd of them were tolM>Hoen around ti.e in.iierialhox which they were decorating artistically ; others hung crowns In-fore the entrance, covered the walls with draperies and flowers or spread over the ground a mixture of sand and brass nungs. M All doors opened to the son of rhe great Chancellor ; he easilj obtamed access to the stablos, where the horses were tied l)efore superb gilded troughs, and talked to the gr(K,nis, particularly to those of the green camp, on whom he enthusiastically wagere.l his head. Then turning round, babinius ;.i„| his companions directed their steps towards the taverns, tak^- : pleasure, on their wav, in troubling the pedestrans who, l! at the close of dav, were hurrving back mto the town. In the midst of the wild troop,^ne of them suddenly cried : li'n " Let us go to the burying " place of the Christians ! All applauded wildly and rushed towards the catacombs 'IH under the guidance of a young iad of the place, who vvas well paid to traitrously give up the secret of the ft entrance and be their guide. After procuring lights from a small neighbouring store, these turbulent vouths soon reached the clump of small 3 trees and old ruins that marked the m descent to the catacombs. Suddenly the leader of the 1) band stopped. " How stupid and ! imprudent " he cried, " we have forgotten what was most important, guiding thread for the labyrinth. " K1 BEFORE TIIE GATKS 199 " " liCl our guide go to Ihe villngo and buy mmo for us. said SahinitiH. " " That in nwwh Uh) far, rrplii-d ono of his comiKiniotm ; "I would not trust much to Ariiulnc's thread that the ChrlHtians might vxU, and thus krop us i)risoiiprs in their burrows, the ugly badgers i Here is something more practical : let us tear down some of Maxentius's big pla- cards and throw small pieci's all ahmg our way. We shall thus b» 1)16 to go fearlessly forward as long as our paper lasis. No sooner said tlian done ; an marble slabs marked the tombs ; they had therefore pene- trated nto the necropolis of the Christians. Sabmiiis was pale as death ; not only did he fear this vast lal)yrinth, but he trembled at the sight of these thou- sands of deacT. With eyes cast down and not daring to look at anything, he clutched the garment of the one who preceded him. His imagination became the more excited, as he did not dare to look up and only partially saw things. He seemed to sec eyes of flame through the unpenetrable darkness of these corridors which opened before them in endless succession. Certainly those flitting lights were '' 200 VALERIA the souls of the departed hovering over their mortal re- ill mains. Some slabs had fallen and laid long skeletons open to view. Sabinius's teeth chattered and he closed his eyes in terror, but the sight of the human bones remained im- printed on his mind, and he cursed the folly that had drawn him and his companions into this frightful abode. A con- vulsive shudder ran through his frame at the thought that the shades i of the Christians might p; revenge themselves on the son of the apostate, of the infamous traitor, and he iM involuntarily raised his hand to his neck as if to protect it. The impression made by the silence and mystery of this 'f ? funeral city began to cool the courage of even the boldest ; they stopped, from time to time, under pretence of rekindling their torches, the smoke of which choked them. At intervals they saw vaults ornamented with paintings that appeared I! strange to them. Here there was a man thrown from a ship into the open jaws of a sea monster ; opposite, another fresco .11 represented the same monster throwing up on the shore him whom it had swallowed ahve. Further on there was drawn a man standing with extended arms between two lions, and another in the nudst of seven baskets of bread. No doubt one of the dead must have been a gladiator and the other a baker. Then they saw an old man lifting his sword above a boy who was bound and kneeling, and they did not doubt but that this picture represented the impious repast at which the Christians partook, they said, of the flesh of a child that had been sacrificed to their superstitions. However the libertines began to recover themselves gradually no : dead had risen to seize them unexpectedly, no unearthly laugh had been heard. The corridors became wider, the air less suffocating and the conversation was BEFORE THE GATES 201 inperceptibly growing more animated when suddenly the foremost recoiled. At the door of a vault stood a shade, a spirit that their at torches lighted. Rooted to the spot they all looked the phantom with terrified eyes. girl a sort of veil falling It was the apparition of a young ; from her head shadowed her pale serious face which was fixed beautiful even in death. Her large dark eyes were with deep displeasure on the adventurers. Without saying arm, a word the spectre of the girl, or the vision, lifting its youth by an irresistible gesture commanded the audacious to flee from this kingdom of the dead. as With one accord all obeyed and hurried as much torches the obscurity and the uncertain light of their would allow them. They crowded and hustled but without saying a word, and the last one believed he heard the menacing spectre at his heels. sand They drew breath a little when they reached the quarries, but even in the open air, on the Appian Way, dared to the late noisy band walked silently and no one say a word. than The spirit that had terrified them was none other Valeria. After the departure of the fossores, unable to tear her- she had knelt self away from her beloved mother's tomb down and prayed fervently for her father, and was asking strength and courage for herself when she heartl a noise. girl advanced Believing it was the fossores the young towards the opening intending to ask one of them to kindly engrave on Rufinus's tomb the same words that it was then that the latter had engraved on Sophronia's ; she found herself confronting the young libertines. Sur- silent then prise at first rendered her motionless and ; 202 VALERIA recognizing Sabinius she became indignant and it was this feehng that made her gesture so commanding that it put the dissolute trcop to flight. When Valeria left the catacombs, night had already thrown Its dark veil over all nature. The girl hastened her steps through the streets absorbed in the thought of her unhappy father she ; asked herself if Rustica had succeeded m finding him, if he was still alive. Ah ' if she could ' but once more have il seen his beloved face I "^ ^^^^ '^"^^^'^^ h^« paternal blessing, his last, ! sighu7 1 ! The poor girl looked up to the vault of heaven ! I she there saw the evening star which seemed to her a messenger of hope caressing her with its light as a mother soothes her child to lull it to rest. One might have thought It the image of the Queen of Virgins, of the Mother of mankind bending e • the unhappy ones to pour rest resignation and pej... into their ' souls. Alas this w^s only a short respite on the way up her terrible and calvary Valeria almost lost courage altogether when on ar^ nving at Irene's home she learned how her devoted friend had been taken to prison. " My God " ! she cried bathed in " tears, how can I bear up under so many blows ? Irene was my only stay - must^ I .oe this last drop of sweetness turn into bitter Many a time did the young girl remember her la.'t long talk with Sophronia on the day of her death ; she had drawn strength and confidence from it ; but a this hour bitterness filled her poor heart extinguishing hope al and, it seemed to her, banishing all consolation for- ever. "My God ! My " ' Cod ! she murmured low, " how cruel IS Thy sword ! It pitilessly hews a too feeble reed so. L«; BEFORE THE GATES 203 firmly bound to the cross, and which can only break under this embrace. Oh ! why was I absent when Irene was seized ? How much should I have wished to share the hardships of her prison and hor (loath ! One tomb was scarcely closed when another was prepared and into a " third too must my heart descend with the victims. The sighs of the Psalmist rose to poor Valeria's faltering lips antl she repeated with him : " For thy arrows are fastened in me : and thy hand hath been strong upon me. There is no health in my flesh because of thy wrath : there is no peace for my bones. . . Forsake me not, O Lord mj' God : do not Thou depart from me. Attend unto my help, Lord, the God of my salvation^ These lamentations by which the Holy Spirit Himself prays in us " with unspeakable groanings " brought peace again to this poor bruised heart. Before all else Valeria wished to have news of her father, and notwithstanding the lateness of the hour she went in all haste to Rustica's dwelling. She movetl so quickly, that one might have thought her a shadow, an aerial being. Her feet seemed scarcely to touch the earth, she hurried in the darkness through the narrow, silent streets * of ; :. Transtev6re, more picturescjue then, than in our days. Here there were broken arches, there the ruins of a temple with its crumbling walls where the pale rays of the moon flitted, while on the summit o'f the Janiculum the dark cypress lifted their heads to the starry skj' and cast their gigantic shadows over the sleeinng city. The young girl went forward fearlessly, supported by the hope of hearing her much loved father speak. 1. Psalm xxxvn 3, 4, 22-, 2.3. I 204 VALERIA When she arrived at the fossore's home, she found him alone with his blind old mother who was vainly trying to put Rustica's little son to sleep ; the dear little creature wanted his mother. The modest apartment was but barely lighted by the feeble ray of a smoking lamp, but a bright fire in the fireplace threw its light on the slabs of marble placed against the wall and on the fossore's tools. A gentle thoughtful charity had prepared this warmth to welcome the generous confessor of the faith who was so anxiously expected. Mincius tried to impart his hopefulness to Valeria ; he explained in detail the plan so well conceived by Rus- tica, not only to procure some comfort for Rufinus, but tc attempt to carry him off from his executioners. Valeria's heart nened but slowly to this hope, she had suffered so much ! However, she closely questioned the good fossore, making him repeat over again all that he Jill had already said. " Can I believe " in such happiness ? she cried at last. "My beloved father found again and hidden in the Transtev^re I m ! shall be able to approach him, surround him " with my care, my tenderness ! ll The young girl rejoiced and then trembled again. What if Rustica were to bring home only a cold corpse ? What if she had not foimd the prisoner ? Every moment Valeria and Mincius rose m turn and looked out into the dark narrow street listening carefully to catch the slightest sound, and as many times were they disappointed. old The grandmother at last remarked that in the poor prisoner's state of health a too great joy might be harmful to him it ; and was decided that should Rustica have succeeded m in saving him, Valeria should present BEPOBX THB GATB8 205 herself only after having taken all the precautions dictated by prudence. However, hour succeeded hour and the young woman did not return ; the baby had at last gone to sleep in the arms of the old woman who was herself fighting against heavy drowsiness. Suddenly in the midst of the silence of the might soft footsteps were heard and in spite of his disguise Valeria recognized her beloved father in the obscurity. It needed all the strength of her love to restrain her excess of joy and hide herself from Rufinus's sight. While Mincius and Rustica helped the Prefect to mount the few steps leading to the threshold, she lighted them, then handing the lamp to the grandmother, the happy girl withdrew to the back of the room. The husband and wife very carefully led Rufinus who was quite worn out and almost dying to his bed and gave ^'^ him a cordial that had been j,. 'jeforehand. Valeria, with the tears flowing down her m, . watched them with ever increasing emotion. " My poor children, " said Rufinus, in a faltering voice, " may God reward you for so much charity, you have saved my life. But what is the use ? What is this life without my daughter, without my darling child who has " fallen into the hands of the cruel tyrant ! " No, no, noble Sir, " cried the blind old woman, " heaven has preserved your sweet daughter. It is not long since she was with us praying for your speedy de- " liverance. " What ! my daughter is alive, she will be here ! I " shall see her again ! cried Rufinus with a flood of tears, " O my God ! O God ! O God ! infinitely good, be for- " ever blessed ! 206 VALERIA And he fell back on his bed. " We shall go for her, " said Mincius, " a few moments " more and she will be in your arms. " But, " said " i the old woman, would it not he prudent to wait a little longer in ; your weak slate can you bear so " much emotion, so much joy ? •'Can heaven harm the drooping plant to which it sends " the refreshing shower ? asked Rufinus smiling. "Oh ! no, go for my daughter, bring her here, she will give me back life ; but first help me to rise, so that she " may not be startled at my miserable state. Valeria could bear it no longer, and coming out of the shadow where she had been standing, threw herself into her father's arms. " My father ! " my father ! she cried in a transport of joy hard to describe. Long did the father and daughter remain in a close embrace unable to utter a single word. Their souls melted in deep gratitude and an immense love of God. At that same hour, in the palace of the C.Tsars, the Emperor tossed on his couch a prey to a terrible dream. He saw himself at the circus, the people filled the boxes tier over tier, and awaited the opening of the games ; but at the moment when he Maxentius, wished to give the signal, a superhuman being of infinite majesty and greatness appeared, and commanded him, with divine authority, to carry on his back the obelisk which stood in the middle of the arena. Maxentius was forced to obey though crushed under the gigantic burden. Groaning, breathless, bathed in sweat he dragged the obelisk along the Appian Way and took it towards the town. Many a hi 1 1,', % toFORB THE GATES i(ff time it seemed as if the immense block that weighed him down would crush him entirely ; but the menacing look of the powerful and mysterious sovereign forced him forward and he was obliged to walk on, notwithstanding his anxiety and terror. At last he was allowed to stop at Domitian's race course. A young Virgin, a child, was there seated on a throne ; she held a palm in her hand and a lamb of snowy white- ness reposed at her feet ; Maxentius was constrained to raise the obelisk before her. After two fruitless attempts he succeeded, when a dove that had been hovering above alighted the on top of the obelisk ; at this moment Maxen- tius awoke. " " By Jupiter ! he murmured drawing a deep breath and wiping away the perspiration which fell in -^reat " drops from his forehead, what an evil dream ! T o is this terrible dominator who thus imperiously constrained me to this work of a slave ? Who can tell me who this " child is before whom I was obliged to raise the obelisk ? In vain did Maxentius consult his soothsayers the next day ; no one could tell, not even the Chaldean who had drawn his auguries from the entrails of the newborn child. Who would then have surmised that fifteen centuries later a pope would have Maxentius's obelisk withdrawn from under the ruins of the circus where it had lain, to ^ have it erected before the Church ot Saint Agnes, and that he would have his arms, a dove carrjing an olive branch, engraved on it ? !! /it i^ HSf! 4 'tin W' il CHAPTER XI THE EYE OF THE BATTLE ^s order to obey the Emperor, the general Rufus had ** tried but in vain, to embarrass Constantine's march. The most important point for him was to gain time so that the legions from the south might reach Rome. Rufus did not dare however to give battle, as his soldiers were thoroughly disheartened owing to their many defeats. After a feeble defence of the pass in the Appenines, he had abandoned P'lorence to the enemy without even drawing sword, and followed by the young conqueror, fled as far as the walls of Rome. Constantine barely gave his troops the rest they really needed, and they themselves, the nearer they approached the term of their desires, the more did they seem animated with superhuman strength. Their courage was increased by the enthusiasm of the town and villages which hailed their intrepid chief as a deliverer. One and all had suffered under the yoke of the tyrant who ruled over Ronx. A few days before, Maxcntius had ordered a general carry arms, raising of troops ; all men who were able to were enrolled with the utmost rigour. The people had also been mercilessly plundered, their cattle, grain and all sorts of provisions had been taken from them by force. Two dnys before the great fete, Constantine encanij)ed a mile and a half from the great city, the mistress of the world, in the villa ad gallinas. He had decided to wait 14 210 VALEBIA there till the 28th of October, the nnniversar> of Maxentiiis's coronation, and to fight the decisive hattle that Livia, th.c wife of AiipiiMus, and di-rives its name from a in this i)Iace, a white fowl that legend ; it is said that had heen carried away by an eagle, (Iroju'd a spray of laurel on the empress' lap. Cordien, the pagan ju iititT, did rot fail to see in this circumstance a hapi)y prr'.-age of victory for Con.* Vatican, which boing situated on the other 1 ank of the Tiber, was somewhat out cf the way. Heaven thus spaied the young warrior n itch cii.el anguish of heart, and he joyfully looked forward to soon holding in his aims the most tenderly loved of n:others. Ignorant of tb.e terrible triith. o\n' young hero, leaning against one of the windows of the villa, hjoked down on the valley of the Tiber and across the Sabine hills over which shone myriads of stars. Memories of the past and I ' dreams of the future, all filled his young heart with sweet- im: .'V ness and hope. THE EVE or THE BATTLE 211 At that moment a knock was heard at the door. It was the trihiine Arlennisniid theFenator AnichisPttulimw who had ronie to visit 'he ( hristiun officer. Since the day on whicli the mysteriini.s sign of the cross had appean>d in the heavens above the sun, they had felt Christianity themselves irn'sistihly drawn towards ; Constantine's miracidons success strengthened these tendencies ever>' day, by proving the truth of the proph- etic vision. They loved to learn from the young soldier of the pure and lofty dot rine which he j>rofcs.«ed. Kach cnnu" alone at first, then together, leing attracted by the same feeling, after which the three companions in arms entered into a friendship that was but tlie stronger for being ba.'^ed on noble motives. On the eve of the great day of the battle, willidut any prearrangen\ent, the two catechimiens met, and, urged by the same impulse, came to tell Candidus that the vic- toiy which would be a decisive one for Constant ine would put an end to their doubts and would also be the victory of Christ in their souls. " I f( el nyself drawn towards Rome by an inexplicable, ardent desire, " said Paulinus. " and yet, being a father, my heart s\ifTers anguish. We had scarcely arrived last evening, when I sent one of our faithful servants to bring ! has not yet re- me news of my children ; but, alas he tmned. I b.eg the God of the Christians to have pity on these poor little ones and their unhappy father, to guard them for me. and I have sworn that they shall become " worshipi)ers of Christ if I find them alive. " Thou ait right, noble Paulinus, " said Candidus warm ly, " to trust our good and all-powerful God. He is not like the idols which have ears but hear not. In vain do the afflicted cast themselves down and remain at their 212 VALERIA do to soothe their sorrow 7 feet ; what can vile matter God the Creator alone hoUls all things in His power, and His heart inclines lovingly towards those who invoke " Him in their suffering. Candidas had long since learned to love hi'3 two visitors whose noble feelings he admireil the more as lie learned great to know them l)etter, and conneqiiently it was with joy that he heard the promises tl y made. His deep faith saw a work of grace in the great t rial of AniciusPaulimis's, and he imderstood that Proviilence was leading him and his children to the hurl)our of salvation through the waves of tribulation. How much greater would have lieen his joy at this could have seen moment, if, looking into the future, he Artemus, raised by Constantine to the highest dignities, Julian honour tiie Church by a glorious mar+yrdom under the apostate. To the family of the Anicii Iwloiiged not only the first consul of Rome but a pleiad of saints. 1. Christian From the villa ad gaUinos, the watchfires of the enemy's army might have been seen on the banks of the Til)er, and night, the neighbouring hills, and, in the silence of the the gentle breeze brought to the ears of our three friends, the noise of the wild feasting with which the sokliers of Maxentius prepared themselves for the morrow's combat. Gordian, the priest of Mithra, also turned his eyes towards the great city. He might have l^een seen leaning on a balcony, absorbed in sombre reflections. He could the hearts of no longer doubt it, each new victory drew Constantine and his soldiers more closely to the God of wait the Christians. The young conqueror seemed b t to the taking of Rome to bend the knee before the Cracified. had turned The elite of the army, such men as Artemus, If THE EVE or THE BATTLE 213 their \mckn on the go(l» niid no longer tried to dinnimulate their preference for < 'hriHtianity. The hopes that Gordian had founiled on the probable siicceHHes of Rufus, tho clever Gont'ral of Muxentius's troops, had vanished. Dark pre- sentiments agitated the priest of the sun, his anger was the more bitter as hell itself was force " Ah ! " he cried after a pause, clenching his fists men- acingly and striking the ground with his rod, " it is I, Gordian, the i)riest of Mithra, I, who must perforce flatter Constantine and predict victory for him ! Can it be possible that Gordian should proclaim the trhimi)h of " the Crucified over his gods ! When the first rays of dawn proclaimed the rising of the sun, the revengeful pontiff was still standing on his lonely balcony, but the light of day drove him away as it does the night birds of ill-omen. The preparations for the great fete of tb.e next day im 214 VALERIA Constantine, were now all ended, and Rome spoke but of camped at the gates of the city. Five hundred years be- " portas, Hannibal is at our fore, the crj' : Hannibal ante " and fear to- gates, had filled the nation with horror ; day, a like cry excited joy and hope in the greater ' ii^ber coh eioi xwos of the citizens. T'>e arrival of the young , hailed with joy, ardent wishes were express. (' \ov hi;-, triumph, and the people saw in him the savoU'- of the city that he was about to wrest from the yoke of the in- famous tyrant. The great Chancellor however was far from sharing in these sentiments. For many nights past now the Creek had not closed his eyes, the wily fox was at his wits' end and asktnl himself what path he was to follow. He knew that Ruins had made all preparations for the I'.nr,.. lor's the Chancellor flight to the south in case of defeat ; but could net resolve to risk ruiniing the dangei-s attending ". ; 'i f: such a coinse, he would not even think of it. Rufus might 'If yield and Maxentius might be slain. " " Is not the branch which bears me about to break ? he asked himself. " Let me then try to seize another on fails there is no which I can lean as soon as this one me ; " other than Constantine himself. But Heraclius had gradually broken all tiie ties that he had not miglit have led him to the young conqueror ; hesitated before any means, however criminal or shame- of ful they might have been, to gain the good graces Maxentius antl to succeed in obtaining the eminent po- sition he now occupietl. And to hold it, every expedient treachery, calumny, had leen considered good : cruelty, murder, spoliation. He had sacrificed all to the savage tyrant, to his cupidity. His own riches were stained with innocent blood that he had shed so ruthlessly. Rufinus ll It 'A ••;! 1 1 ! i- i Hi' 1 i !'. f ' THE EVE OP THE BATTLE 215 the ox-Prefect, the former companion in arms of Constan- tino, was one a}j;ainst whom ho had contriveil an odious plot and accusotl of lying co.i.-ii)iracies and of writing letters that he himself had lioldly forged. What would the brave and loyal Conslanline think of his apostasy \v;is and his disgraceful intrigues against the two last popes, Marcellinus and iMisehius ? His conscience which had sUnnbered so long was now terribly awakened ; remorse, like a serpeni, now held him in its coils, and his blood froze in his veins. He had secretly .sent away his trea.sures to a faithful frieiul in Naples, ho])uig 1o follow himself and to retire into Greece, his nalive country. But liie rapitl succession of events barely gave him lime to take his precautions. Resides, Heraclius feared spies who might reveal his pre- cautious measures to Maxenthis and tluis ruin him. The apostate had but one refuge, tiie Church, that mother whom he hail so basely betrayed, whose heari, ho had so deeply wounded. Reconciled to her, once again her son, reinstatetl in the conurumion of the faithful, he might \\o\Hi to win Const aniine's favour ; but what means could the proud n(M-acIius emi)loy to free himself from the sentence of exconnnunical ion which weighed on him, without being obliged to submit to long years of rigourous penance. " I nmst, " he said, " fall back on the project that I have already i)resen1ed to Maxeiitius, and as the Emperor Gordian did after \'aleria's blo approached Maxentius crying : " Divine Emperor, Constantino is then at the villa ad " i 216 VALKMA arranged gallanas. The thing could not have been better ; " gallinas ! Omni / fausta ! what a hicky omen ! Ad " " with a loud burst By Hercules ! replied Maxentius ! " omen. Ah ! ah of laughter, I never thought of that I the timid, the imperial vulture will pounce down on Rufus, cowardly fo^'ds to strip them of their feathers ! That will be f. annii.:iate these knaves to-morrow ! H' must cannot be in the finest feat for my feast. What a pity I jr " two places at the same time. " come " As great Chancellor, " said Heraclius, I have a service to take thy divine orders, so, as to organize thee which even while thou art in the circus, will give coursers of news of the battle. Deign to place the best riders placed a quarter of thy stables at my disposal ; a mile from each other on the Appian Way." in the " On the Appian Way they will bring thee news the field twinkling of an eye. Thou will bo as it were on " |: of battle ! " pleases me, " cried club of Hercules ! that -'I By the it I " Rufus will thus be able to send me Constan- "if Maxentius, i glorious tine's head while it is still warm. W' triumph ! , r +u ...ade ol tne " That will depend entirely on the prom " I will take all the service, the Greek hastened to reply. victory, responsibility on myself. Immediately alter the and from a courser must also carry the news to Naples, " thence to Africa. Britam. " And other messengers must be sent to Gaul, Emperor and Spain, so that I may there be proclaimed immedia ly, " added Maxentius. the The Greek declared that he would presently have report of the victorv published. " with blind " Very well, very well, replied Maxentius THE EVE OF THE BATTLE 217 assurance " indeed ; thou shalt be obliged to give up the games of the circus to attend to all this, but as a recom- pense, thou shalt receive the government of Gaul, will " that not be a fine reward ? " For months past I have rejoiced at the thought of assisting at these fetes, " replied the wily Chancellor, " I't ' can a faithful servant hesitate before sacrifices " T there is a question of his sovereign's good pleasure ? Weraclius had succeeded then in arranging to be the first to have news that was well founded, and that from the best source, he would be the first to be apprised of the issue of events. Besides, he would await, at home, the end of the conflict, thus he hatl gained two great points ; there was no doubt that Constantine had determined to attack Rome on the day of the fete. Heraclius then presented the edict that would restore to the Christians their churches and cemeteiies, and awaited the Emperor's signature. " " We shall take then^ in the snare like rats in a trap, he affirmed. " This masterstroke will be accomplished on the anniversaiy of the day when the daughter of the Cecilii paid, with her life, her impiety towanls the gods, or on the Nativity of the Nazarene, at the end of the " year. " Art thou Slue, " demanded the coarse barbarian, " " that these rats will bite thy lard ? " " . There is not the slightest doul)t, affirmed the Greek ; "the loss of their churches and their cemeteries was a thousand times more painful to them than maitjrdom. Indeed, thou shalt see, Kniix^ror, how eagerly they will run towards the trap without in the least suspecting that the^ will be falling into a snare from which they will " never get out. 218 VALERIA Maxentius convinced, signed the edicts audacity still Embol(iened, the courtier pushed his this time. further ; too far " say, " crown " Wilt not thy Divinity, he ventured to Christians thy magnanimity and ifree the condemned " when tliev appear in the circus ? words of The unfortunate Greek pronounced the last he saw the terrible his request in fear and trembling when Maxentius's heavy black- look of the crowned barbarian. his eyes flashing with a dark, brows were contracted ; diabolical light, fell on Ileraclius. thou " ! designs art ! crafty Greek What Ah ! Wretch favourable to meditating now, to so suddenly become even more than these Christians whom th.ou abhorrest I will crush thy head, I do ? By the club of HerculcH. crawl around my feet. vile serpent, if thou darest to Thou mavest thank the gods that the edict is al- pardon for the ready signed. If thou hadst asked " added, his anger rising old PreftH-t of the town, he " would have understood like th(> waves of the sea, I loyal functionary. It is thee. In the main he was a be urged to revenge the misfortune of the powerful to that sting the by envious flatterers, venemous gadflies with their poison. horses m the ear and drive them wild arrived from Yesterdav, a big ship laden with wheat whom thou Egypt owing to the care of this Rufinus against supplied the towp didst rouse me, saying that he had not " with provisions ! the churches and ccmeteriea 1 Maxentius restored to the Christians the annals of the Ei -pire that had been confiscated by Diocletian ; has given rise to the suppo- attribute this act to Constantine, which not been carried out. sition that the orders of Maxcntius had " THE EVE OF THE BATTLE 219 "But it was because he is a Christian that Ilufinu was " punished, muttered HeracHus crestfallen. " By all the " gods ! thundereii Maxentius ^^ furiously, "vile renegade, thou who hast denied tliy faith, art thou not still wono ? Begone ! and ilo not forget that if the bird which I expected to sing turns out to be an odious toarl, I will see that the ugly beast disapi)eurs from my gardens " and all Kome shall be witness to its death. More dead than alive, the Chancellor haateued away without daring to utter a word. " Fool that I " " am ! he said to himself, to have inter- posed in behalf ot the Christians of the amjjhitheatre ! And yet the edict would have had quite another significance if, on presenting it to the pope Miltiades 1 could have an- nounced the i)ardon of the condemned." However, Heracluus attached a high price to the edict that Maxentius had just signed, he thought tliat he would thus, without striking a single blow, be reinstated in his former position in ne Church. In this way, he would put out of his way one of the great esi .stmnl)ling-blocks and succeed, perhaps easily enough, in getting into Constantino's good graces. " If only the Pope Miltiades helps me, " he said to him- " self. I coukl edify the Church by my zeal nmch more than by hard penance ; the edict that I have obtained is a great blessing that far outweighs my past wrongs ; besides, the Pope Eusebius because of his excessive sever- ity, must bear all the responsibility of my fall, which he provoked. The Chancellor, informed by his spies, was not long in finding out ]\Iiltiade8's place of refuge, a poor hut in the Suburra but the ; Cliristians watched so lovingly over their Pontiff that Herachus found it a very hard matter to get to him. VALERIA 220 Prefect of half an hour, the When after an interview features and dar^ock,b^ the Pontiff, his drawn left C""'™''' ™ anger and his disajipointment. traved his t- "ff--^^^ ^expectations, the pope had refused successor of Saint Peter, beforeThe non posmmus of the had 'neen un™c'=^^^^ the offers of the Chancellor „ a mo her, tne^^^ " who is a queen and The Church and " grants pardon to rei-ontancc, Pontiff told him, with she makes no compact Egl^ves her' grfce, but to human »«hem.ng crime, she cedes nothing pastor of * s wa"der Remembering too that he was the and strength luu pope with holy temerity in,r sheen the mto wh.ch the renegade the abyss "f s«e?ne s sLwed chastisements wh.ch awatted be had fallen and the terrible Ctoch^ the persecutors of the ^ ;„ ^ g,„^e and them .lir^r-WZ Tine iurtiroften overtakes reproach Tngo-"i»";s"failure, humiliated by the his steps «>«»'* *^ csoflhe pope.Heraclius directed brain some means of ap- Forum Peking in his inventive a ^le- of mabc.ousjoy ^rcMr^C—tine. Suddenly he had touna ii . his eyes ; heart and shone in ._ S^^nhispo—theMtorsthatt^filled his rr'^S;: ^', he priest whom S""e— at placng h,m^ army, it would be he re a ned in Sis Tsrx^rL:sS-tetTrrhLXme, !,: ;A ^-^s:nrT"-rHrurL^;r'thfisa k m THE EVE OF THE BATTLE 221 result of thy intemperance, the fumes of the wine have " been rising to thy brain. " Not in the least, " " rei)lied Sabinius, I am not dream- ing, Ilufinus 18 no longer among the condemned. Either he feigned illness the more easily to flee, or he is dead and the Christians have stolen his body. In any case he dis- appeared last .lighfc " ; the thing is clear and certain This was another blow for the Chancellor. It seemed to him a thing impossible that the Christians should at- tempt, in the face of so much peril, the I carrying away of a body that they could have easily obtained for a few pieces of gold. The prisoner must have escaped, and, in the eyesof Heracliusno danger was so great as the revelations the ex-Prefect could make, if Constantine came into power. The Greek did not easily relinquish his held however, he was soon himself agjiin. "By the daughter, " he thought we shall be able to fol ow the traces of the " " father. Go, said he quickly to babinius, " send the archers to the Aventine, to Irene's house and if Valeria ; is not there, let her be watched, let her be traceil everywhere. Cost what it may she must be in our han.ls this evening. Promise one hundred, two hundred sestertii " to him who catches the bird His soul filled with bitter anger, Heraclius strode up and down his apartments his ; eyes chanced to fall on the imperial edict and he tore it into a thousand pieces • but he immediately regretted this, for the document could at least prove he was favourably disposed towards the Christians his ; anger but increased when he recognized* his folly. Sabinius returned an hour later and announced to his father that Valeria had not been seen at Irene's house VALEUIA fH 222 the night nn unknown Bince the iPorning before. During dress, ha well luiv,. .i;j,,„,l I <.nvorn - the opcn'infrs iii Ilu> palisiuK-, ' 111 l'<'^-ilil<-, " iiro\\]v(\ the C'liaiicellor. "'if'.n " .ni,l ihe sly ohl fox, "I can fii.d hut one exphuKUion. the C'hristian.s are, they .siv, famous nia- gicuuis. and ihey nmsl know, hetter than the god J\I,.rcPrv liow to .M-t ahout rohhing. I have lieurd sav that one evening heir 1 n.aMer passed through eIos(>d" The Cluauvllor's hml humoxir increased an crocodile'H hide to lifo vn.i (lid not cive mc a tha„ .,aiL ::;,"« lr.i upo,, „. .hicUer ^C. have «.*n that thou wouhUt not PI -o to witno.« Uako not eorae to com,.a.«oua,o .«in. ha.1 Le allvclUi.. ( .' " demanded Heradms. " Who was it ? a - ..^rUsolf/' replied Sahinh.;J.t tliey tigresses into lambs and words she transformed tlie shame for the son But what a disgrace and a 7et me ^ that a is the vengeance ! This tiien f n la ('hancellor Chr.tian. are .^^^^ S::i^-m[^s 'By Jupiter! if the have. •• T «.Mn.l.>r how thou foxildst ' sen,en« hut h« mahcou,, ^rwniusi not finish hi- .onM.l.'toa it .anloni,. laURh . ''-vf^ ,„. t,,^ „i, „p H..racUns Hashed » '"-;,"** ^hls 1 ,lare,l ^ but cUd ""'."I-"*- ' ^" reproached ,"'^,,*^,t. , heen He.on.ihi.-^ :i!::^e™uror;;;"-otn;;;t!.us,.. m i M tha the> was begmnmg ,..„j,eanceiih» which I with infamy.^^'^'V;^"lt\\as(ii\ii,i^,i^ I spies, ^^^d^r'^',"^""? the young ii .p_in, the man to whom ,ven the ;:;:i;iarrhrr;othe ca,ae„.h. had -r^rdT'thTcr::** -t-^he e^Pre^ ^^ illl THE EVE OF THE UATTLB 225 tomb propami. This wan one sharp thorn loss to torture thr wn'tchrd aiM)stal('. DuriiiK thf afternoon „f that day, fifty Christians were chosen from among those in the prisons and transf(>rn'd to the circus vaults to U' there immolated in the Karnes the next (hiy. The. others, a v(.rv great many were reserved to l)e thrown to the wild Leasts on tJie days following. Among the former was Irene. Valeria heard this, and notwithstanding the dangt«r she incurred, notwithstand- mg all she ow.-d her father, she resolved lo go and say a last good bye to the faithful, devoted frien.l who had l)een a second mother to her, to receive her l.i.-.ssing and her last messages for Candi.ius. Va'eria tliougl.t that the Mother's sacrifice might 1k> softene VALKRIA he refuse this sac- wished to make to Irene ; but could rifice which waH asked of him by gratitude ? The Roman custom exacted that on the eve of their death, the condenme(i should freely see their relations and friends, ami a good repast was offered them. It was the cana libera, a feast at which spectators might assist. The Christians loved to change them into agapes and, when they coultl, at the end, into the Eucharistic bancjuet. This repast thus became for them, as it were, the heavenly token and foretaste of the eternal feast al which they would soon sit down, adorned with the halo and the palm of martyrdom^ As the works at the circus were still going on, the Chris- tians had been confined in an ailjoining building, and it was there that they took their last repast, seated on the ground. It was composed of bread, wine, cheese and fruits. A crowd of curious people pressed towards the entrance to see the condemned who were guarded by armed soldiers. The many pagan spectators could not hide their admiration on seeing the Christians so calm, so joyous, on the eve of the horrible death that awaited them. Their pious conversation, the sweet peace shining on their they could faces, struck the Romans with astonishment ; not remove their eyes from a spectacle that was so beautiful and to them so strange. of holy Mass followed 1. In the primitive Church, the celebration or love the repast of the faithful called agapes, that is, act of charity Saint Perpetua the Acta martyrum which recount the martyrdom of and Saint Felicita say that the Christians, as far as was possible, changed the coma into agapen. At the end of the repast, one of the assistants turning towards " faces so as to know us on the people would say : Look well at our the day of judgment. THE EVE or TIIE BATTLE 227 Toward', the ond of the repast, however, & certain uncufiiiiehs manifested itself in the nudst of the profound ail p At last the Archdeacon Sylvester appeared <'n tlie threshold ac('t»nii)anied l)y two children ; everyone looked eagerly at them, iheir faces animated with heavenly joy. " Here he in. " tliey murnmred, sn.ilin^ happily. On his breast, the newcomer carried tiie holy Host, hidden in the folds of his ami)l<> mantle. The chief of the jjnards who had IxH-n won over during the mornin>r, with a heavy sum of money, allowed the deacon to enter where the prisoners were, and they re- ceived him with marks of profound respect and the most affect ionate veneration. The two children knelt down In^fore Sylvester, holding a silver cup in their hands which were covered with a small napkin of fine linen. The deacon removed the sacred Ho.sis from the richly embroidered cloth in wliich he had carried them, and broke the bread of heaven into as many parts as there were memlxTs in the group of future mar- tyrs'. The confessors having given each other the kiss of peace, advanced with iiancLs crossed on their breasts, the right over the left. Viaticum Domini, murnmred the deacon, 1. In the time of the first Christians, it was already the custom ot carry the Viaticum to the dying. The old man Sorapion, feeling his end approaching, sent his young nephew for the priest The latter who was retained on a bed of illness entrusted the divine Host to the child after taking all necessarj' precautions. The martyrs never failed to ask for holy Communion, in order to derive from it the strength to resist the tortures. :3t -m n'^^.'sr-^ 228 VALERIA while placing the bread of life in the open hand of each one of Ithe faithful. These responded, amen, and piously recollected, they communicated with bowed beads. In fervent and silent adoration, the martyrs offered themselves in anticipation, as holocausts to the God who, for their love, had died on a gibbet, and their ardent prayers implored the grace to be faithful unto death. After the ccena libera so solemnly ended, a few minutes more were accorded the prisoners in which to take leave of their friends and relations and to say a last adieu. Those who waited outside could then enter, and Valeria % threw herself weeping, into the arms of her adopted mother. Irene, already beaming with celestial jo}% pressed the weeping girl to her heart and gently consoled her, and then the latter told her how Rufinus had been delivered from captivity. " See, " said Irene, " the Lord does not break the bruised reed, and while taking thy two mothers, has " given thee back thy father. She wished to say more, but the thought of Candidus choked the poor mother's voice with a sob. This yielding to nature was only momentary, however, Irene raised her eyes to heaven and this act of love brought back to her beautiful face a brighter ray of happiness. The she kissed Valeria's forehead, with maternal tenderness and gave her, for Candiilus, a golden ball which she had hanging from her neck with a chain of the same metal. " Tell my beloved son, " irmured the matron, " that is that all I have to leave » . with my blessing ; but it is a priceless treasure ; this jewel encloses a sponge dipped in his father's blood. Tell him that at this moment, a tear from his mother's eyes infused new life into the vener- ill . I i S THE EVE OF THE BATTLE 229 able martyr's blood, tell him that my last sigh will be a prayer for my beloved son, that from heaven above I shall watch over him and in the hour of danger his mother will always be at his side. Tell him that a mother's love never dies, it is reanimated in heaven in the light of glory, and will be more powerful to help. Tell him that an eternal reunion will follow this short separation. And I shall watch over thee and thy father too, darling child ; the night which separates us from eternal day will be but of an hour's duration adieu, ; my child ; tell my beloved " son also. . . The guards did not give Irene time to finish her sentence ; the sun had already set and the hour for the visit was already over. But intrepid Rustica, who till now had respectfully remained in the background, forced her way through the soldiers towards Irene and, kneeUng before her, her face bathed in tears, begged her to bless her and her little child. " I wish to be able to tell him one day, " she cried, " that he received a martyr's blessing, and that in his " poverty he is thus richer than the great ones of the earth. The guards rudely interrupted this touching scene ; Valeria and Rustica retired weeping and saying to the Christians : " " Remember us when you are in paradise. The martyrs " replied : Soon, soon, we shall see you " again in heaven. And then the door was closed on them. While from the heavenly heights, the angels watched the agapes of the martyrs in the great circus on the Appian Way, and while the latter received the holy Eucharist before going to death, Maxentius invited the Roman nobles and the chiefs of the army to a superb feast. ' :.i\ »ili 230 VALERIA This banquet, prepared in the most magnificent hall of the palace, was to be for the Emperor also the ccena libera, the repast before death. Golden candlesticks shining with a thousand lights, illuminated the festive hall and made it as day, and en- veloped in warm rays the marble statues which seemed to be animated. Gigantic fountains threw their waters up to the roof, and reflecting the fairylike lights, assumed all the colors of the rainbow. All around were faces of arms, and garlands of flowers and sweet smelling plants embalmed the air. The guests were placed at several tables on raised I. platforms. Maxentius, proudly seated in the centre, had rid himself of the presence of the Empress by sending her an order to have herself excused on a plea of indis- position. Opposite him, in a place of honour, was Rufus, the new Prefect of the the general ; Annius Annitus, town, the old consul, and the most notable of the senators also sat at the imperial table. Rufus would have preferred to be with his troops at of enemy, his place that moment ; on the approach the other occasions, was at the camp ; but, as on so many he had to bow before the will of the Caesar. At his earnest entreaty, however, the Emperor had granted him per- mission to retire at midnight, with the other chiefs of the army. Slaves brought in profusion, the rarest viands artistic- ally served on gold and silver dishes. Others emptied the amphores which were filled with generous wine, into cups of gold and silver of marvellous workmanship. To the sounds of soft effeminate music, dancers from all lands, charmed the eyes of the guests with their graceful move- ments. THe KVE OF THE BATTLE 231 The wine had already begun to warm the imaginations, endless toasts had hailed the Emperor's coming victories and the faithful votaries of Bacchus placed no limit to their libations. Rufus himself, influenced by the wine from Naples and Sicily, began to lose the remembrance of the coming battle, when suddenly, unperceived by the guards, who took advantage of the general disorder to indulge in the same orgies, an old woman advanced to the steps of the 3rial platform. Quite exhausted, she sank down on the first step, and while the foaming wine was lavishly pourecl out, while the cries of pleasure mingled with the sound of the cymbals and the flutes, the old woman presented, before all eyes, the bloody corpse of a newborn child, alternately holding it out to he seen and then pressing it to her bosom, while uttering means of indescribable anguish. Thy mother is dead, poor child, " she said, " thy father was thrown into the Tiber ; but thy grandmother will protect thee from the cursed Emperor. The Chaldean magian pretended to draw his auguries from thy e" trails and they tore thee from the arms of thy mother who died of grief ; sleep peacefully, my child, they say that — But, oh ! thou art cold — sleep, my child. — But he is up there, that Emperor who killed thee so barbarously ; there they are all of them, eating thy heart and drinking " thy blood ! Then, collecting all her strength the poor demented creature, sighing and lamenting, mounted the steps and stood up in the full light before the Emperor, like a phan- tom from the bowels of the earth. And she held the little corpse with its gaping wounds out before him. The slaves rushed forward and carried the old woman away but it ; was too late, Maxentius had seen the poor 232 VALERIA J I woman with her wild look and the bloody corpse. He removed the cup from his lips and his face became as pale as death. " " " Ah ! said he in terror, it is one of the furies come out of hell to reproach me for my crime and to announce " to me the hour of vengeance. The Emperor sought to master his convulsive trembling again and to hide his terrible agitation ; he seized the cup but it fell from his shaking hands. The music and the cries rang in his ears like mocking laugh of the demons. With eyes wide opened and staring into space, he stammer- ed some incoherent words, and remained motionless, frozen with sudden dread. The nearest guests stopped their conversation and looked furtively at the Emperor. The silence of those near him became more and more intolerable to him by contrast with the loud talking at the other tables. Suddenly, Maxentius arose, and furiously dashing his cup to the ground roared like a wild beast : " noisy I want silence ; out of this, wicked vagabonds, blusterers, or I shall have you hacked to pieces by my " pretorians ! The amazed guests disappeared as if by magic. A death- like silence succeeded the drinking songs which had filled the now suddenly deserted galleries. Maxentius was lying on a divan ; Rufus alone had dared to remain with him. He asked himself if the Em- peror was going mad and what was the cause of this par- oxym of rage. Seated with his back turned to the entrance, =1' • he had seen nothing ; neither the mad woman with the child all covered with blood, nor the effect produced on Maxentius by this apparition ; and he could not tmderstand this sudden change. THE EVE OF THE BATTLE 233 But now even the silence which reigned around him filled the soul of Maxentius with strange terror and he ordered Ilufus to follow him into his chamber. The change of place calmed the tyrant and becoming more composed his wicked nature reasserted itself. " " After all, he muttered, " I sacrifice thousands of men daily to defend my throne ; what matters to me then the death of this infant, which was necessary' to know the future ? If the spirits that announce to me the triumph of my arms are desirous of the blood of newborn babes, how can I help that ? Jupiter, I swear, that to satisfy them, I would lay hands, if necessary, on all the children in Rome, and even in the universe. I am master, what " signifies, is to assure myself of victory ! Rufus looked at the Emperor with a feeling of abhor- rence his ; broken words were an enigma at first, but the problem gradually became clear, and the old soldier trembled with indignation on hearing the imprecations of Maxentius. " " " What ! Rufus, said he to himself, canst thou serve such a monster ? Is it to his power that thou art sacrificing thy military talent, the lives of thy soldiers, " thy whole existence ? Alone with Maxentius, the general had seized the hilt of his sword ; the tyrant was before him, lying on his divan, without any means of defence ; but one simple movement of his sword, and Rufus could deliver the em- pire of this monster, and his legions, he knew it, would immediately place him on the throne with delirious joy. Ah ! if Symmachus had been in his place ! Rufus shook off the thought like an irksome burden. " " " No, no, said he, I have already lost him four battles and the half of his empire ; no, no, I will not 'f » 234 VALERIA " left imperial chamber, take his life ! and he hurriedly the III without even saluting the tyrant. " No, " he continued while descending the staircase, " if the gods wish to raise I will not be his murderer ; me to the throne, let them arm another hand than mine 11 " with the avenging steel. No one noticed the departure of Rufus except a guard who seemed plunged in such deep meditation that he scarce- his ly saluted the general. A thousand thoughts agitated mind, as a storm does the waves of the sea. if? . ! with Martial, for it was he, had had a long interview I ii the Pope Miltiades. The Christian doctrines excited his of Christian teachings made admiration ; but many the the obstinate pride of this wild soldier of the North revolt. " " he said to himself, " should allow ! I That a God, himself to be scourged, buffeted, nailed to a cross, is more than I can imderstand. I could not worship such a " his head, regretfully it seemed. God ; and he shook if to justify himself before the .'t I Then he continued, as divine Crucified who mysteriously attracted his heart : " For the past three hundred years He has abandoned His disciples to implacable persecutions without defend- and they do ing them with His avenging thunderbolts ; not cease to sacrifice to Him their property, their bodies, flies to the combat with as great i:'l their lives ! No warrior If joy and courage as these Christians go to death ! or trampling .r it were a question of striking with the sword under foot the miserable wretches who dare to insult the banner but can I, Christ, Martial would enlist under His ; as do the Christians, accept affronts and bad treatmsnt without saying a word, without crushing the wretched \ resolve to P insulters against the wall ! How could I ever " do this ? " « ! ii^ THE EVB OF THE BATTLE 235 To shake off these thoughts, the pretorian, whose hour of guard was ended, hastened towards the abode of the Hercules, situated in one of the wings of the im- perial palace ; but grace and the struggle followed him even in his sleep. The hour was approaching in which the warrior, so proud of his strength, would kneel before the all-powerful weakness of the Infant God. When Valeria and Rustica re-entered the town, after leaving the circus and the Christians, night had fallen. They hastened their steps towards the fossore's little home, and there found Pufinus quite happy ; he had had a visit from Miltiades who gave him the hope of admitting him to confirmation on the following Sunday, and his soul was filled with holy joy. The angel of rest had long spread his wings over the poor dwelling of the fossore. The silent stars shone in the vault of heaven ; and these faithful guardians of the night softly shed their peaceful light over the eternal city. The evening breeze lightly caressed the trees and the shrubs as a mother caresses the head of her sleeping babe. The light of the dying fires of the two camps was seen through the night air. While all natiu^ plunged itself in sleep, one heart watched, the heart of a mother : Irene's prayer rose to the throne of the Most High, as the evening in- cense for her ; beloved son, she fervently implored the God to Whom, on the morrow, she was to sacrifice her life. Could she fail to obtain anything from the Divine Heart ? In the camp of the Gauls a young warrior slept his head resting on his sword ; before his sleeping eyes, passed the sweet, gentle image of his mother. Any one entering his tent, would have seen the smile on hia lips and heard, in a soft murmur, the name which tells us of i 236 VALERIA the warrior the sweetest love of earth, the name of mother ; was Candidufi. It was a solemn night, the last before the great day which was to so profoundly revolutionize the Roman Empire and mark the dawn of the triumph of the Church. The moon jwured her light on Constantine's army, li on the legions of Rufus, on the proud city, mistress of the world, and was reflected in the waters of the Tiber. That same "ght would shine on the morrow, in the same heavens, the Tiber would roll its yellow waters 1^" and peacefully follow the same course as yesterday, the \\n- one it followed a thousand years ago. Even so, does changeable, fickle men -i! changing Providence watch over ; ! and nations. I I 1" III |l!/f I M' \ u CflAPTER XII THE NEW BALTHASAR ^tTHE next morning Maxentiiis was awakened very early ^^ by a messenger from Rufus ; he informed him that Constantine was drawing up his army in battle order, and that the combat might begin at any moment. " Very well " " ! cried Maxentius, tell Rufus that I shall await news of the triumph at the circus ; let him try to take Constantino alive, in all his strength, as Hercules seized the wild l)oar of Erj'manthus ; I must absolutely drag " this infamous wretch Ix^hind my triumphal chariot. The recently arrived legions, the pretorian guard and the body guard composed of 6000 men, called the Her- cules, were old troops well trained to carry arr^s. The military forces of Maxentius far superior to those of his ad- versary as to numliers, were certainly not inferior in train- ing and skill. Besides, these troops were not worn' out with fatiguing marches as were those of Constantine, and the dis- couragement that had taken possession of them after their first defeats, had been dki slled by the arrival of the fine ..j^ions from Africa and from Sicily, who showed the nost lively enthusiasm on finding,' themselves under the ccnmand of Rufus, their old chief. Moreover the whole arn.v was entirely devoted to Maxentius ; he had always been careful to treat them very well putting into practice the maxim of Septimus Severus who said : " " Content thy soldiers and then fear no one. Only the evening before, he had ordered to he ^ivjn to -^^.'(t,- — 238 VALERIA f !. each man the donatium (gift in money) for the annivereary of his coronation, and according to usage, the Emperor had been careful to aouble the sum. He believed there- fore, that he had every right to be absolutely sure of triumph, and, reassured by the happy auguries of the It % diviners, forgetful of the sad scrne of the evening before, he directed "11 his thoughts to the f6te of the day. The morning promised to be beautiful with all the charmi? of autimin in the lovely Italian countries ; the breeze blew fresh and pure from the Latium Moimtains, and the sun shining in the dark azure of a cloudless sky made the rich gold of the military uniform and the bright n steel of the arms glitter dazzlingly in its light. Maxentius thought that fortune smfled on him in the glorious sxm and that this was a forerimner of her benefits, a sweet gift for the fdte. The imfortunate, too much occupied with himself, forgot that he was not alone on earth and that Fortune might smile on others. Bands of peasants had descended from the villages that were to be seen dotting the hills of Latium. Clad in varied colours these descendants of the old Quirives stood in groups all along the Appian way, forming in the dis- tance, ' it were, a garland of living flowers, from which rose g X shouts of joy. Tw men alone formed a contrast to this noisy delirium and the general animation. The snowy hair and venerable appearance of the elder commanded respect, the yovmger stood apart, near the was still in the prime of life ; they tomb of the CornelU, far from the crowd which they looks but grew deeper scarcely noticed ; their grave, sad throng at sight of all this wild joy. Alas ! this immense was about to intoxicate itself with sight of blood, and llHll.l to applaud the death of their brothers in the Christ. The THE NEW BALTHA8AR 230 old man was Sevenis*, Ihe holy deacon whom we have fieveral times read of in this story, and his interlocutor, leaning on a heavy pickaxe, was none other than our faithful Mincius, the fussor, who had spent the whole night in digging the polyandrium of the future martyrs. Severu^ had just l)cen examining these last sad preparations and tears filled the eyes of both. " " " Indji'd, said Mincius, it was a pity we did not close up (he way before the return of the impious band who descended into our labyrinths yesterday. A few hours spent undergroiuid would have done them no harm, and I should have liked to have })een near at hand to see Sabinus, the Chancellor's son, a prey to terror of the dead who surrounded him. " " Let us leave the task of punishment to God, my son, " replied Severus, " to Him belongs the measure " and the time. " " Thou art right, Father, said the fossor, " but when I see the.s(' monsters in human shaix; commit so much crime with impunity and gloat over the sufferings of others, when I see l)efore my eyes all this miserable pomp, all these preparations, all this vain display made by the Emperor on his way to the circus, when I tell myself that his only object is to slaughter the Christans and to 1. The vault of the deacon Severus atill exists in the catacombs of Saint Calixtus, it is there that his little granddaughter Severa is buried. The epitaph on the tomb of the child, is one of the most beautiful of the first ages of the Church. " It runs thus : Her bod'- is buried here, in holy peace, until He, Who, by His holy Spirit caUed this pure soul, so as to k' ep it as His own for ever immaculate, raise it to the resurrection and give ; it to us beautified with a heaven- ly beauty. She was nine years and eleven months old, when she " passed from this earth to a better life. .M 4 ( 240 VALERIA torment the 8acrc " Yes, " replied Mincius, " it was then that Daniel the three mysterious words traced on the wall translated ; but at the feast to-tlay, vases of metal are not to serve to amuse the impious, the vaws these monsters are going to I ! break are the living temples of the Holy Spirit. They will !| not pour out the juice of the grape as Balthasar did, but " blood of martyrs ! With the back of his toil-haniened hand, he furtively weped away a tear which fell ilo>* n his sunburnetl cheek, and murmured With a sigh. " And then it will bt; too late, the vases will Ije broken " and the blood shed " Who knows, my son, who knows, " said the old man, *' how many times has not (loo in His mercy siiatched His own from the gates of death ? To-day, the lubarum will wave at the head of Constantine's troops ; who can say, but we may have arrivetl at the hour of the triumph of the cross ? Will not the mysterious sign, but lately seen by the Emperor of the Gauls, make him mount up to the capitol after having led him thus far from victory to victory ? Maxentius would not understand but what matters! that ? Minciu."., why should not the Christ, this ; THE NEW BALTHA8AR 941 very evening, reign as conqueror in the capital of the " world ? The light of inspiration nhone in the cye« of Severua, while from his heart, an ardent prayer of faith and hope rose up to the All-Powerful. In her diuigeon. Irene had wpent the whole night in prayer ; in a fervent colloqu\ with her (jOD, her soul had become jmrified from all earthly dross. The thought of Candidus was over present to her heurt, but she tasted of deep peace, l''vc the oagle which in its lofty flight, has risen al)ove the clouds and soar-?, without any movement of its powerful wings, in a pure atmosphere, while its eyes are fixed on the sun. One of the condemned had questioned the noble matron about the time of the games in tin? circus, and she had answered him with a heavenly smile i. to her, and whose prison and martyrdom she would have been too happy to share. An inexpressible feeling of anguish filled the girl's heart when she thought of the sac- rifice of this generous mother whom only a few hoiu-s separated from her son's victory. Alas ! when the yoimg warrior, with beating heart, would joyously hasten to embrace the most dearly loved of mothers, was he to learn that he had conquered too late, and that Irene had fallen imder the sword of the executioner ? Was she, Valeria, to break to him the sad news while presenting to him the sponge stained with his mother's blood ? Where should she find words to console such grief ? . Would she have ...- other keepsake to offer to him but that ? l|. " No, it is not possible, " thought the heroic girl, " I shall go to the circus with the other Christians, I shall steep sponges and linen in the blood of the heroes of Christ ; with the blood of the martyr Castulus I shall mingle that of the martyr Irene, and I shall thus be able " to give Candidus a double relic. She promised herself also to place the holy remains of her second mother in the tomb she had had prepared close by Sophronia's. Valeria knew that she could not reach the Amphicheatre without nmning the risk of meeting Sabinus again, but her love did not allow even this to keep her back ; besides she thought that Sabinus might be in Maxentius's suite with Heraclius at that time, and by taking the necessary precautions, it would be easy to pass unobserved in the crowd. •'. 5 I- When Valeria told Rufinus of her project the next morning, he was very uneasy and begged her to do nothing, overcome by her entreaties, however, he acceded to hei- THE NEW BALTHA8AR 243 desires. In order to reassure him, brave Rustica disguised the young patrician's pretty face with a headdress like those the women of lower classes were accustomed ta wear. At the appointed hour, the Emperor left his appart- ments, dressed in a tunic of orange silk ornamented with a wide band of gold and precious stones. From his shoul- ders fell a rich purple mantle. The imperial diadem which encircled his head, sparkled with the light of numerous incomparable diamonds, and his sandals too were thickly set with precious stones. He advanced bearing the ivory sceptre surmounted by the imperial eagle and affecting an air of disdainful condescension for the obsequious congratulations of the senators and officers all of whom wore white togas embroidered with purple. The bugles resounded in the distance and cries of joy filled the air ; not one in the immense crowd then pouring into Rome, seemed to give a single thought to the enemy. The cortege began to move from the Palatine towards the Arc of triumph of Titus, passing by the temples of Romanus and Venus. The Emperor carried a palm, and, standing in his gold and ivory chariot, d^-awn by six magnificent white horses, surrounded by his body-guard, he seemed already a conqueror. The Empress followed in another splendid chariot, but looking so sad and pale in her rich gold-embroidered robes that she might have been taken for a picture of death crowned with flowers. The inauguration of this circus which bore the name of her son Romulus but in- creased her melancholy, she could not pardon stem fate that had torn him from her maternal arms. After the sovereign, came the senators, the officers, the priest of the false gods carrying their idols, the white vestals, the 244 VALERIA highest dignitaries of the court, dressed in gold anc puiple, and then all those to whom their title gave tht nght to a place in the cortege ; the men on horseback, the women in elegant litters. Notwithstanding his reiterated efforts, Heraclius had not succeeded in dissuading Sabina from assisting at these f^tes of which his dark presentments made him ap- prehensive; as for Sabinus, nothing in the world would have made hrni give up his place in the Emperor's cortege. The immense crowd that preceded and followed, surged like the waves of the sea. The people were massed all along the route, crowded the stairs, the terraces, and the aparapets of the temples and palaces. From the dawn of ,day, thousands of spectators had hastened to enter the circus so as to secure the best places. The Emperor made his entiy by the great gate and the crowd hailed him with frantic acclamations. He was then seen to take his place on the podium with ths suite of Senators, vestals and dignitaries. Seated on the throne m the centre of the jmlvinas, he allowed his glance to wander over the imposing edifice, and a smile of proud satisfaction hovered over the thick lips of the crowned barbarian. This circus, raised by his magnificence, would carry down to posterity the glory of Maxentius and make his name live throughout the ages. Ten gaUeries superposed in tiers, supported the im- mense rows of stalls which ran round the vast enclosure capable of containing 20,000 spectators. Doubtless the threatening events of the day had somewhat cooled the ardour of some of the Romans, and the assemblage waa not as great as I-.ixentius had hoped ; but he barely gave this a thought, his work and the intense pleasure THE N£W BALTHASAR 245 his vanity derived from it, made him give himself up entirely to almost delirious joy. In the middle of the arena, and along its whole length stretched the spina, an immense rampart, the circuit of which had to be made seven times before the automedons of the circus could carry off the prize ; it was ornamented along with statues, small colunms, and graceful miniature temples. In the midlle of the spina, rose the obeUsk that Domitian had brought to Rome in the year ftO, and that Maxentius had had taken to the circus. Of this vast edifice which the tyrant was going to inaug- urate with the blood of martjrs, when death seized him, there remain only the exterior walls and the tower of entrance. We can still recognize the porta libitinensis (the gate of death) by which the remains of the condenmed were to be dragged outside. A silence of death now reigns in the deserted, grass-grown place ; in the galleries and under the vaults, filled with rubbish, the foxes have made their holes. The vast ruins of the temple of Romulus and the edifices that sxuTounded the circus, alone retain the memory. When standing above the heaps of rubbish, from the heights of the Appian Way, one looks over these souvenirs of a greatness that is no more, the eye is drawn towards the tomb of Cecilia Metella in the distance. One would say that this imposing pile, cold and sad, puts the last mournful touch to the picture of destruction and death that the devastating torrent of centuries has pitilessly traced in the neighbourhood of the great Roman city. The f^te was opened by the apparition ot the statue Romulus which was to be solenmly imveiled to inaugurate the circus built in his honour. A splendid throne with a piu-ple, gold-embroidered cano- 246 VALERIA !! i i py, had been prepared for the Empress. Oriental carpets covered the steps and garlands of flowers were entwined all around, while on a trivet of massive gold exquisite perfumes burned. Placed close by the spot where stood the statue of her beloved son, she would be the first to rejoice when, at the raising of the curtain, she should see the image so dear to her ; the unfortunate sovereign, surrounded by her slaves, awaited the moment with feverish impatience. The drap- ery which enveloped the marble fell, and, trembling, the unhappy mother seemed to wish to spring forward towards the cold, white apparition in which she recognized the lineaments of her child. She convulsively stretched out her arms towards it, and seemed as if she wished to impart to the inanimate image, a breath from her own throbbing heart. But soon falling back on her seat, she looked with wild dark eyes at the throng which she saw not and for which she had no concern. One felt that her sorrow border- ed on madness. Her women pressed anxiously about their mbitress, but she did not heed them. Alas ! in that im- mense crowd these poor slaves were the only ones who were touched by the unutterable despair of that mother, of that Empress. But the religious solenmities had already begun, and the curiosity of the people was attracted towards the imposmg procession of priests who carried the statues of gold and silver of their gods, the bust of the Emperor, t\\ and of the members of the imperial family, and sprinkled the inunense edifice abundantly with a shower of lustral water. " " By Hercules, muttered Sabinus impatiently into " his neigbor's ear. Will the devotees never finish ? Can they not spare us these interminable delays ? If I were m THE NEW BALTHA8AR 247 the Emperor, I should immediately order a combat be- tween a hundred gladiators. How much greater is the charm of the combatant's cries than this dull chanting ! I call the gods and the people to witness. Is it not true that they take more pleasure in seeing streams of blood flow than in this abundance of lustral water which is " falling as copiously as the Deucalion deluge ! The noisy clamour and the joyous exclamations with which the crowd hailed the Emperor's arrival had been for the future martyrs the signal that the hour of combat had struck. Resigned, what do I say ? joyfully, they looked into the face of approaching death. They once more gave each other the kiss of peace and encouraged each other to bravely confess Christ, their love and their hopes. Irene, standing in the midst of the prisoners, with a smile on her lips and a transfigured 'ace, appeared like a mother surrounded by her children. She, whose sacrifice had at first been so poignant, now seemed to breathe forth superhmnan joy and to be no longer of earth. It sufficed for any failing heart to look at the nob?e matron in order to regain courage ; but all the hearts there, beat in unison, and were filled with holy enthusiasm and sweet loving confidence. The pagan rites and ceremonies being over, all eyes were directed towards the Emperor's box, awaiting the signal for the opening of the games ; the barriers had been removed, and tl drivers of the chariots could no longer restrain their ii ettlesome steeds that were impa- tient to enter the arena, but the Mappa} did not fall, the imperial throne was empty. 1. The course was along an immense wall, the spina. He who after having gone around seven times, came in first, was the winner. In the centre of the wall were the metae, four enormous pillars round 248 VALERIA Maxentius had assisted at the lifting of the draperies^ he had gazed on the statue of his son, then he was suddenly Been to disappear. Did the impatient sovereign wish ta SI .. avoid the long religious ceremonies ? but now the pompa was over, the priests waited motionless, in doleful silence, and the expected signal did not appear. The minutes succeeded and seemed like hours, yet the Emperor did not return ; the impatience of the spectators massed on the tiers was at its height, and burst forth in cries, vociferations and furious stamping of leet. In the circus, at the amphitheatre, the most despotic tyrants took the wishes of the people into consideration, and these latter then took the most incredible liberties that the most powerful sovereigns allowed, even as far as bowing^ before the disapprobation of the people with the same smile with which their praise had been received. Amidst the surging sea of the populace, the general restlessness suddenly took a new form ; the news spread that Constantine had attacked Rufus, that the shock was a rude one, and then the agitation went beyond all bounds. To allay the tumult, an officer of the court thought it was best to give the signal for the opening of the games, in the Emperor's stead, and the six foiu" horses chariots dashed into the arena. With foaming nostrils, eyes on which the chariots had to turn, and' this occasioned serious accident* when the driver turned too short. The prodium or the balcony surrounded by a balustrade, wa» reserved for the senators ; there was a seat of honour for the Em- peror. When he presided at the games, his place was at the balcony over the large entrance gate in the centre. He gave the signal for the opening of the games, by throwing a piece of white linen called the mappa into the arena. THE NEW BALTHA8AR 249 fire, excited by the too long waiting, the steeds seemed to devour space with terrific speed, when menacing hisses and frightful cries roses from every side ; each one looked at the imperial box still empty. The races, which ordinar- ily the Romans loved passionately and watched with breathless excitement, as the chariots flew along the apida, had this time lost their charm. In the midst of frightful confusion, the greater number of the spectators fled and rushed out towards the vomitorias. The boldest remained in their places shouting : " Have done with the races, away with the chariots and horses ! Where is the Emperor ? Where has he " fled ? We want news ! At last a herald advanced and commanded silence with his rod. With strong hands the drivers of the chariots reined in their trembling horses, and silence suddenly fell on the immense circus, a whole people listened, spurred by in- tense curiosity. " Our divine Emperor, " cried the herald in a loud voice and pronouncing each word distinctly, " our divine Em- peror did not wish to leave his brave legions alone to fight against the infamous wretch who ha^ dared to raise his sacrilegious hands against the capital of the empire and attack it on the very day of the fete of the Romans. The heroic Maxentius then has placed himself at the head of his troops and, surpassing the glory of Julius Cajsar, " he has but to show himself in order to conquer. These words were received without any enthu usm , some remarked in a low voice that the issue of the c».'mbst, must be very doubtful for the Emperor to leave the games ; others listened to the herald's absurdly vain word, one with an ironical smile ; and soon all had but ; 250 VALERIA one intention : get back as quickly as possible within the walls of the town. In the twinkling of an eye, the tiers were empty, and the last of the spectators crowded impatiently before the vondtoriaa which had become too narrow. To see this crowd fleeing in disorder towards the walls one would have thought that instead of attacking Rome by the bridge Milvius, Constantine was pursuing the fugitives from the circus along the Appian way : men, women, children, patricians, plebians, slaves, ran along it breath- lessly and in utter confusion. In this frightful disorder, Sal 'pa iiearched in vain for her son, her slaves, her bearers ; dhe was obliged to flee on foot, in her festive attire, mixed up with the common people, streaming with perspiration, covered with dust, tmder the clouds of sand raised by the people running in this sudden delirium of fear. In truth, Maxentius, warned by Rufus that his troops were giving way had hurried to the place of combat he flattered himself with the hope that his presence alone would turn the fortunes of the day. However, on leaving, he sent to the centurion who had charge of the Christian prisoners, the order to massacre them that same evening, if he did not receive news of Maxentius's triumph. " Those cursed dogs at least shall not rejoice, if mis- fortune should befall me, " growled the barbarian. As for Sabinus, he would have wished to leave all the laurels of victory to Caisar, and cared little about sharing in his courage. As much as he had till then always hung about his ? ereign's throne and sought to approach him to win one '. mce, so much did he now seek furtively to avoid him. But Maxentius made him an imperative sign hit ' b ii THE NKW BALTHA8AR 251 And he was forced to follow the Emperor to the field of battle. The horsemen posted all along the way by Heraclius, to bring news rapidly from the camp to Rome, received orders on the contrary now to go at full speed to Rufus to tell him, at all costs to await the Emperor on the battle- field. On the heights where the tomb of the Comelii stands, the deacon Severus and the fossor watched the horsemen and the crowd pass, and they guessed what was happening. With his eyes raised to heaven, the old man prayed to the God of armies ; then turning towards the deserted «ircus, he murmured : Balthaaar. & Ill ilw "I ' ) J i •I If H k I 'i f 'i I 'if'' i jy|;,i HI^ML' \ f CHAPTER XIII THE BATTLE ^^ALF an hour's distance from the Gate of the People, ?^ at that time called " Porto Flaminia ", and quite close to the Mole (the bridge Milvius of the ancient Romans) two great roads joined each other : the Via Cassia and the Via Flaminia of that time ; the latter passed before the " Villa ad Gallinas " where the Caesar of the Gauls had encam])ed. At this point, steep hills run along the Tiber, having narrow meadows between their base and the banks. Farther on, the river, making a wide sweep, forms, towards the mouth of the Anio, the large plain which in our day bears the name of Prati de Tor di Quinto, from the ruins of an old tomb that may still be seen there. It was there that the famous battle of the 28th October, 312, was to be fought. Rufus, the chief of Masentius's army, had disposed his troops in the form of an immense triangle. The rear-guard and the right were protected by the Tiber and the Anio, the left wing occupied the slopes of the hills, while the heights were held by the archers and the funditores with powerful slings ; they thus had the Flaminian way in front of them, towards the north. Ihus the old Roman general's position was as advantageous as that of Const antine's troops was un- favourable. Hemmod in, the banks « f the Tiber on their left, and the hills a their right, the latter could not de- ploy freely, and their unprotected flanks exposed them to dangerous attacks. f 254 VALSBIA against Besides this, the Casar of the Gauls had to fight old well-disciplined troops, four times as strong in num- bersS who were not, as were his soldiers, fatigued by long marches. Humanly speaking, the enterprise was auda- to lose this battle at cious, nay, even presumptuous ; the moment when the object of his hope was within reach, would be to lose all. However, a firm confidence in the mysterious sign miraculously led him on from triumph to 4 :i which had triumph, up to the gates of Rome, urged Constantine to go lose a single day. forward ; he did not wish to his army At the first dawn of day, he was seen to set I the ranks of his warriors, in battle order ; he rode along mounted on a magnificent white charger, clad in brilliant armour, the gold of which shone in the rays of the rising sun. Animated by his ardent words, all hearts beat high with noble enthusiasm and each one was eager to rush into the combat. .1 ! '%. Under the shadow of the Labarum, oi which they were- soldiers so proud, the valour of the numerous Christian they fought like lions. in the army had risen to heroism ; Heaven rewarding the faith of these brave men, ceaselessly l! watched over them with striking proofs of protection, the anows of the enemy could not touch them and fell harmless at their feet. But while the confidence inspired by these prodigies, military forces, n 1. Zosimiu telb ub, in speaking of Conatantine's I while he that they numbered 90,000 infantry and 8,000 cavabry, estimated Maxentius' troops at 170,000 infantry and 18,000 calvaliy. The German and Breton auxiliary troops formed a strong contin- til! in the pre- gent of Constantine's army which had lost but few men •I' U panegyric of the ceding battles. Nasarius brings this forward in his . . twrum mUrumbua. Emperor : Tuia integri. Sine i I I aMi THE BATTUG 255 confcrrf'd on the Gaulish army a C hristian character which daily rtow stronger and turned all hearts towards Christ, while the fame of the mysterious sign spread and its triumphs excited jjeneral attention, the soldie.s and the cliiefs wlio remained faithful to the gods heeame mo^-e gloomy, and the jealous uneasinesi< which filled their heirts increased with the incresising glor>' of the Ldmrum. This did not escape the discerning eye of the young J^mperor : and even hr at that moment, .'jilowed himself to be influenced liy seme indefinahlo fueling of hesitation. It was not that in his heart of he; »t.s he had ceased to believe in Christ, :ind to attribute his marvellous victories to Him hut, ; jirrived before that city, mistres of the world, th( ]ii;]wark and citadel of all the false divinities of pagan- 1 m, actuated perhaps by fear of •. •!;•-.. however, he knew he owot! ; Doubt gradually wejJ '-.(1 \,\. .., ;; Constantine yielded, he decided that >: ^ixi, i;,i..T. that is to say the legion '.' which carried .ix hi.-.i... i. -dd not at first take part in the >< ^, combat. lU »; j if j, j^g place in the centre, but it kept in the ..\,; ..nk, allov.ing it to advance only if the danger became imminent. If the standard with the mysterious sign then saved them from defeat, the Christian religion would triumph both over his inmost doubts and his heart for ever. These measures were no doubt the result of the priest Gordien's insinuations. After having oflFered numerous sacrifices to the god of the sun, this wily personage, wth 256 VAIiERIA Emperor that he would feigned joy, had announced to the surely successful. be most ^ , .. combat. Constantine gave All was now ready for the trumpets sounded m the the signal for the attack, the and powerful as camp, and the war^ry rose as terrible from the clouds. the rolUng of thunder, bursting Gauhsh cavalry, The young conqueror, at the head of the away by his daring, dashed forward the first, carried ' the enemy scavaJry r under a storm of shafts and arrows; onslaught the the fury of the ; at first gave way before ! themselves be ore the Gauls advanced and soon found splendid and immovable as a infantry, the old legions, ranks, these veterans seem- wall of brass. Pressed in close which the blows resounded ed Uke a forest of lances against least In vam did without making them flinch in the infantry, the I \ columns of Constantine put forward his in their turn and engaged old pretorian guard avanced be- \«! A Gaulish courage gave way in a desperate struggle ; their of the enemy, and m fore the invincible resistance offensive. turn, the Romans took the soldiers with whom Rifus commanded in person the old on the left wing, the he had won ,o many victories; giants, clad m skins of of Hercules, six thousand I i corps clubs, advanced^ beits and armed with enormous steels columns, the ground trembled Under the feet of these heavy encounter was terrible^ and seemed to give way, the " who marched at " Odin, roared old king Eroc By a " by Odin, have I led to Rome the head of his Germans, with spindles ? Thor, hear my It of old women anned and may thy heavy hammer voice «/.^\*J\f^^ ForJ^^^ skins of beasts ! before these men with the draws back me ^ who has blood in his veins follow ward ! and let him his wild Germans, but iu A on the enemy with h He rushed THE BATTLE 257 like a block of granite the Hercules received the shock without yielding and their whirling clubs mowed down the best warriors. All then, was to the advantage of Rufus ; the sun too, which his troops had behind them, blinded his adversaries, and at the same time, a strong wind blew thick clouds of dust into their eyes. It was at this jimcture that Rufus sent a messenger to Maxentius to announce the favourable progress of the combat. This news was given to the Emperor at the moment of the unveiling of the statue of Romulus ; everything seemed to succeed according to the desires of the Caesar who was so confident in his good fortune. However, he wished to keep this good news to himself, so as to dazzle the poeple by suddenly announcing the complete overthrow of his enemy. Success and defeat alternated at different points of the battlefield ; Constantine's soldiers, stimulated by the sight of Rome and the remembrance of their recent vic- tories, fought like lioas and performed prodigies of valour, notwithstanding their small numbers. Constantine had sent to the tribune Artemius, who was at the head of several cohorts, the order to clear the hills, dislodging the archers and the fronditores by at- tacking them in the rear ; but that officer must have failed in the attempt, for the murderous shafts continued to pour down, sowing death in the ranks of the right wing of the Gaulish CsBsar. Eroc the old German King, had again rallied his men, and once more attacked the left wing of the Romans. So as to further excite the courage of his warriors, he entrusted the standard to his only son, the idol of the soldiers. Like so many heroes, the brave troops threw 17 :'^i 258 VALERIA themselves into the conflict. Alas ! the first that fell, pierced to the heart, was the vaUant Ulric. He fell 'yith his standard, before the eyes of his father who suppressed his tears. At this sight, dis-couragement overcamf- these brave men, sorrow disheartened them ; they hesitated, and profiting by this check, the Hercules broke into their ranks with irresistible impetuosity. Under the terrible clubs of these giants, l,he helmets and shields A the Germans flew into pieces, as if they had been of clay. Martial wielded his club with matchless dexterity and force, although he was bleeding himself from many gaping wounds, and the dead bodies were piled up around him. TheGeimans were about to give way, their ranks began to falter. Tlufus, certain now of triumph, sent a second messenger to Miixentius with the : j best possible news. The moment was a terrible one for 1 the assaillants. Constantine saw his brs/est warriors fall like wheat beneath the scythe, he r,w the cohorts that had never 1 wavered, retire before a, rejoicing enemy that was sure of triumph. Before him rose the city of Rome into which he had thought to enter, crowned with the laurels which ' now seemed to elude his grasp ; behind him, there was / death, there was shame ; beside him his dearest compan- ions in arms slept their last sleep, the earth steeped in their noble blood. Then the warrior remembered the God of the Chris- tians, he raised his tear-filled eyes to heaven. " " O Lord Jesus ! O Christ ! he cried," keep Thy promise and give me the victory if it were indeed Thy name I saw shining above the sun. By this token, I shall believe in Thee and the whole empire will adore Thee " with me as the one true God. il THE BATTLE 239 He then gave the command for the sixth legion to ad- vance. It dashed forward, impatient at its long inaction, following the Labarum that Candidus bore, and rushed on the *. m enemy while the air rang with the cry of Christus Vincit^. At the same instant, the aspect of the combat changed ; as the rising waves dash in vain against the rocks and fall back powerless, thus did the old legions, the pretorians and the Hercules give way and break up. One might have thought that the name of Christ, invoked by the Chris- tian legions, shed a supernatural light and darted its rays like devouring flames upon the Ron ins. At the same time Artemius' soldiers appeared o . the heights c»nd the archers and fronditores were seen lo lall headlong down the steep slopes. The hills were soon cleared, and by the wide valley which now bears the name of Poussin, the French painter, Artemius' cohorts broke the enemies troops by attacking them in the flank. Christus Vincit I Christus Vincit ! repeated the conquerors, and the name of the triumphant Christ re-echoed, announcing the 1. The cry Christus Vincit was introduced later on into the lit- urgy. In the Middle Ages, two precentors sang alternately with the choir in the litanies : " Kings of kings ! — Christe Viucis ; — Thou our king ! Chnste Vincis — ; — Thou our hope ! — Chriate Virds Thou cur ! ; — help — Chriate Vincis ; — etc. And then t'uey added : Christus Vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperai. — '"-u'ist has vanquished. He reigns, He commands. As the greatest monument of the triumph of Christianity over pagainsm, Pope Sixtius the Fifth placed a cross on the obelisk which he had had convened from Nero's circus to Saint Peter's square. On the pedestal of the obelisk was engraven, by his orders, the cry of Victory : Christus Vincit, Christus regnat, Christus impcrat, followed by the prayer: Christus ab omni malo plebem tuam defende ; May Christ defend His people from all evil. " 260 VALERIA Victory. It resounded from all parts, from the centre to the wings ; the pagan soldiers as well as the Christians repeated the miraculous word which had saved them ; and over the immense plain, the conquering name of the Christ was heard : Christus Vincit ! Christus Vincit ! Rufus, wild with rage, ground his teeth on seeing the standard with the wondrous sign, which for the fourth •' time broke the palm of victory in his hands, and snatched from his brow the crown of glory with which it had been adorned. In vain did he place himself at the head of his terrified troops to lead them again to the combat ; ar- rested in their flight but finally repulsed, the Roman sol- diers vainly threw themselves into the arms of death ; the pretorian guard, the Hercules, all gave way. Maxentius had but just received the news of the second I 'I I messenger, when a soldier arrived, riding at full speed. He ran towards the Emperor and handed him a paper ) written Rufus : , with these words by I f " The accursed sign of the Christ bears down all before it ; where is thy promise ? Come, thy presence only can change the chances of the battle ! Maxentius roared, uttered a frightful imprecation and left. The priest had not yet finished sprinkling the lustral water on the walls of the new circus. Maxentius was going to conquer, that was certain, and if he regretted leaving the games, he rejoiced at the thought that his glory would be lastly increased, for the victory would be his own personal work. "Because Rufus is unable to break this famous stand- ard, " he soliloquizcjd, " I shall go myself and place it under his knees that he might crush it. And we shall then " see, cursed Nazarene, " he added contemptuously, which " of us is the stronger. THE BATTLE 261 The Emperor rode over the Via Flaminia at full speed. At that moment, Rufus had succeeded in rallying his soldiers, and with the troops he had held in reserve, was fighting desperately to retrieve what was lost, and win the victory which appeared doubtful ; but above, Cons- tantine's legions, restrained momentarily by Rufus' supreme resistance, the heavenly hosts themselves seemed to combat by the sign of the cross. One might have said that invisible hands arrested the Romans' darts and aimed them back at them. When Maxentius arrived, the tumult and the melee were frightful all over the battle-field as far as the eye could see. Remembering their brilliant past, the pre- torians, who had made and dethroned so many emperors, died like heroes for a sovereign who was unworthy of such devotion ! The legions from Sicily, as also those from Africa, vied vnth the old guard in bravery. All fought and defended themselves with the energy of des- pair ; driven back to the river, they felt that they were lost and had but to choose between a glorious death, arms in hand, or that which would be found in the waters by fleeing ignominiously. Maxentius' arrival was therefore hailed as that of a saviour ; his head encircled with the diadem with golden rays, his wide purple mantle falling from his shoulders, without arms or cuirass, trusting to his prestige, the Emperor put himself at the head of his Hercules. " In the name of the god Mars, follow me! " he shout- ed to the imperial guard, and setting his spurs he dashed into the midst of the enemy's troops. Rufus followed him, and the Hercules marched after them. But what could then- clubs do ? Of what avail is the greatest human strength against the power of Christ ? 262 VALERIA By the side of Maxentius, Rufus, the brave old warrior, fell, struck by countless blows, the Hercules recoiled before the irresistible power of the Labarum. Soon the flight was general, the rout complete, disorder reigned everywhere ; pursued by the GausUh cavalry, the soldiers threw down their arm^ and rushed towards the two bridges, the victory was won. Under the weight of the futigives, the bridge of boats . gave way and all on it were engulfed in the waters ; at the same time this closed the door of safety to all those still crowded on the bank ; but very few of these unfor- tunates were I able to reach the opposite side by clinging to the planks and boats that floated. The mass of fugitives, under the enemy's fire, fled towards the bridge Milvius, but the disorder and the crush were such that the parapets were torn from the sides, and infantry and cavahy were precipitated into the tide. They were seen to struggle and fight with death and then to sink and disappear for ever under the waters ; others swam desperately towards the left bank, but those who 1 i were sinking, trying to rise to the surface, clutched hold of them and dragged them down to the bottom. Sabinus, the grand Chancellor's son, still in holiday attire, fled wildly ; arrived on the banks of the Tiber, he slipped in the mud and was engulfed. Maxentius, surrounded by his Hercules and the re- mainder of the pretorian guard, retired fighting ; but he was brought to bay by coming up against the crowd of fugitives and could not take one step i . J further. At that moment, Constantine appeared near the river at the head of the tenth legion. To rapidly terminate the bloody combat, he ordered a final and general attack. He himself shouted the triumphant cry : Christus Vincit and all .1 IHE BATTLE 263 the soldiers repeated it after him ; Constantine had the Labarum brought beside him, and dashed forward towards the trembUng remnant of the Roman cohorts ; all gave way before his conquering advance. The imperial guard alone, having at its back the river, which had abeady received so many dead, the murder- ous sword of the enemy before it, death in front, death behind, the old guard fought its last fight. As for Maxentius, seeing that all was lost, he drove his spurs into his horse's flanks, and the spirited brute, terrified, reared and plunged into the waters. In vain did the tyrant placing his last hope in his charger, cUng desperately to its neck, the swollen current carried away both horse and rider struggling together against death, and they disappeared under the waters before the eyes of the young Caesar, covered with glory. The Christ had vanquished ! Constantine immediately gave the sign for the cessa- tion of the combat ; then, dismounting, the conqueror knelt down with ; uncovered head he gave thanks to the Christ in a loud voice. Candidus and hundreds of Christian soldiers prostrated themselves beside the Emperor ; numbers of their pagan companions, carired away by an irresistible impulse, bent the knee with them; tears of emotion ran down the browned re- cheeks of all these warriors, and their heads were bowed before the All-powerful, Who had crushed the strength of the enemy and given the victory to Con- stantine's standard^ 1. His contemporaries were all convinced that Constantine's victory the WM work of heaven. The pagan orator, Naiariua, addressing the victor, thus expressed himself : " It was the Divinity Who protected thy piety, it was the Divinity " 264 VALERIA The decisive battle had been won, and the sun had scarcely begun to descend from the zenith. Then only was the old King Eroc seen to seek, not far from the river's bank, the inanimate body of his son, Ulric the Valiant. His cold hand s-ill held the standard that had been entrusted to him and his head rested on his heavy sword. Eroc, allowing his tears to flow, carried in his arms, his brave son, the object of his pride. In vain did his faithful warriors, in tears, beg him to give them the honour of carrying their young chief, the old man shook his head and kept his precious burden. " No, no, " he murmured sobbing, " these arms which received him when he came into the world, must be the only ones to place him in the bosom of foreign earth, far from fatherland and the old oak which shades the tomb to the of his ancestors ; but his soul has found the way Walhalla, vhere Ulric the brave has taken his place at ambrosia of the feasts of heroes ; there he drinks the " the gods in the skull of his enemy. Who broke the pride of the tyrant, upheld thy army and gave it " a power that God alone can give. Constantine himself declares : (ad sanctum catum, chap. xxii). " I attribute m^ fortiune and all my success, to help from on high, all the city of Romp knows it as I do, and praises the Eternal for " it as I do. Eusebius says of Constantine, that firmly convinced of having been helped by God, the Emperor immediately thanked the Lord Constantine wished that his statue, in a fervent prayer ; he adds that raised in Rome, should hold the Labariim and that the following " inscription should be engraven on the pedestal : True dispenser of your etrength, I have, by this sign, delivered your city from the yoke of tyranny, I have restored Uberty to the people and the senate with the grandeur and magnificence of ancient days. (EuBBBiUB, History of Constantine, I, 33). i V j: k\A. THE BATTLE 265 The grave of the young warrior was dug at the footV a dark cypresa, on a hill by the waters of the Tiber. The face turned towards the east, his cuirass for a pUlow he sleeps his last sleep, and on the bark of the tree, with the points of their swords, his companions in arms en- graved his name : Vine the brave, son of the King Eroc A canvas of the immortal Raphael, at the Vatican, has lUustrated the great battle which decided the fate of Rome and of the Church. In the foreground, Maxentius is batthng with death in the waters of the Tiber ; on a height, near the bank, stands Constantine with the La- barum, the cross of which overlooks the whole secne • to the right the fugitives who had crowded the bridg^ Muvius, and the boats are struggling in the waters ; to the left, an old warrior, on bended knee, leans over the lifeless body of a handsome young man, still clad in his annour, and lifts him up tenderly. t i t iM ^ i , 1 '^ \ ; ', 1 'u I )' I ;. 5^ ^ 1' ''.'' i 1 I i i i i 1, ijyiiL ii mUi : y CHAPTER XIV THE SAYIC'JR "^'^ "'" '"* '^ ^^^« tC to ' • ^P^'^-nt not Svf th '^"'''^"* °^ Maxontius' army time 4V, kT , ! to prevent the city from trying to sustain a siege, or t^or^ ganize any resistance in the streets Would not the vanquished troops seek to compensate themselves or their defeat by murder and the piSI^e^ o^ the defenceless city ? Convinced that he had no time to lose, Constantine commanded that the clarion should be .ouided, anTor! dered the cavalry to advance by the road which by passed the Vatican, and mimediately occupy the Capitol and ^"^^ ""'^"^ *^ ^"ter the city Ai T^.' by the bridge Ahus bndge Saint-Ange). near the Mole of Adrian, an^ the others by that called the Janiculensis, below At the Tiber the same time, the infantry were to close the approach Milvius and the It^^ ^"^8^ road to the Vatican to the *^" commander TT\. ffi'T^^"^ of the cavalry, ""^^^^^ ^"""^""^'^ *« the public CW .' authorities Con^tantme's victor,, Maxentius' defeat, and the arriva The august sovereign had not forgotten PauhnuspiuhW?"'"^?temble anxiety with regard to his chiMren, and m choosmg him for this mission, he wished to give him the means of hastening to their assistance. *rom the moment it was known in Rome that the battle MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^5 12.8 2.5 150 2.2 Hmm 4.0 2£ I.I 1.8 ^ /APPLIED IIVHGE Inc —-\; 1653 Eost Main Street g'.a Rochester. New York 14609 USA •-SS (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^S (716) 288 - 5989 - Fax 268 VALERIA time of Maxentiiw had begun, and more especially from the battle, the agitation precipitate departure for the field of waves of the sea, continued to increase. It rose Uke the wavering between fear and the spectators of the circus, town. and hope, also hastened to enter the i terror The most contrary news was carried to ifro; heard th»u Maxentius was at its height, when it was setting fire to the four soldiers spoke of nothing less than emperor, if he were quarters of the city, to avenge their really dead. . „ ^ u j the Senators had After the interruption of the games, Concord, at the graduaUy assembled in the Temple of ancestors had been ac- foot of the Capitol, where their times of pubUc danger. customed to hold' their councils in despatched toward Messenger after messenger had been i' I authentic news. Suddenlj the bridge Milvius to bring back drowned in th« they lecjned that Maxentius was dead, a brilliant victory Tiber, and that Constantine had won decision hac Immediately, the august assembly, whose deputation undei been made before hand, sent an ofl&cial Ancelinus to the battle the leadership of the new Prefect of Rome and Victory field, carrying the golden statues homage to Constan the deputation was to render solemn time, at the sugges tine and take the oath. At the same members, the senate gav tion of some of its Christian prisoners accused of th the order to set free aU poUtical I; ') crime of high treason. the city, the ai In an instant, everything changed in the peopl resounded with cries of joy and happiness, 'in they haUed wit acclaimed and blessed the new Emperor, tyrants whose dungeo transports of joy the victims of the emphatic still was tl doors had been thrown open, more gaUop, took possession < cavalry, which arriving at full THE SAYIOUB 269 the Capitol and the Forum, thus assuring the safety of all. Paulinus received by his friends with the most lively demonstrations of joy, could not take part in this happiness for his heart was a prey to anguish because of his children of whom, up to that moment, no one had been able to give any news. At last, a Christian Senator succeeded in reaching him and told him that his dear ones were safe from all peril, hidden in the Villa of the Quintilii, ^ at the fourth mile stone on the Appian way, with a Christian family. He might have added that, as happy catechumens, they had ah^ady, for more than a month past, the happi- dness, of being initiated in the doctrines of Christ. The Doblo Senator, whose dearest wish was thus ful- filled, immediately despatched a messenger to the Villa of the Quintilii. If he had been informed at that moment that the condemned Christians, confined in the prisons of the circus, had not been set at liberty notwithstanding the general amnesty, he would have hastened to send a detachment of calvary to their assistance ; but, in the general confusion, no one thought of those unfortunates. But for an unexpected intervention, the infamous order of the dethroned tyrant would have been executed and from beyond the vale of death, his spirit would have feasted on infernal cruelty. As soon as Miltiades heard of the battle, .he Eoly Pontiff, with several deacons and a goou numbei of Christians, went to the catacombs of Sairi Valentine ^ between the Flaminian gate and the bridge Milvius, of 1. The ruins of this immense Villa may be seen at he present day ; the people call it Roma Vecchia. 2. The oranetery of Saint Valentine is celebrated for the magnific- ent reiN-esentation of the crucifixon of Our Lord, due to Bosio'g chisel. ...... w-j ..tr-- 270 VALERIA which only the ruins now remain. Being near the place of combat, they could succour the woimded Christians immediately after the battle. From a Villa situated on an eminence, quite at the en- trance to the catacombs, they could see the theatre of the fight in the distance ; they saw the first fugitives fleeing wildly along the Flaminian way in the direction of the city, Maxentius arriving on the battle-field at a gallop, and soon after, the general rout of the vanquished army. While Constantine and his soldiers fought with the sword, the Christians raised their hands to heaven in fervent prayer ; thus had Moses done when Israel fought against Amalec. At last the news of Constantine's decisive triiunph reached them, and almost at the same moment, they heard that Maxentius had perished in the waters. Then the Holy Pontiff, falling on his knees with the deac- ons and the faithful, intoned the song of Moses, with which the shores of the Red Sea had re-echoed in times past when Pharao and his army were engulfed in the waters. " The Lord is my strength and my praise, and He is become salvation to me. He is my God and I shall glorify Him : the God of my fathers and I shall exalt Him. " The Lord is as a man of war, Almighty is His name. " Pharao's chariots and his army He hath cast into the sea ; his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea. " The depths have covered them, they are sunk to the f i bottom like a stone. " Thy right hand, O Lo^-d. is magnified in strength : Thy right hand, O Lord, ) slain the enemy. " And in the multitude of Thy glory. Thou hast put down Thy adversaries : Thou hast sent Thy wrath, which hath devoured them like stubble. i THE BA " And with the blast of Thy anger the waters yere gathered together : the flowing water stood, the depths were gathered together in the midst of the sea. The enemy said : I will pursue and overtake, I will iivide the spoils, my soul shall its have fill : I shall draw 1 » my sword, my hand shall slay them. " Thy wind blew and the sea covered them : they sunk as lead in the mighty waters. " Who is like to Thee, among the strong, Lord ? Who is like to Thee, glorious in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy, doing wonders ? "Thou stretchedst forth Thy hand, and the earth swallowed them. " In Thy mercy Thou hast been a leader to the people which Thou hast redeemed : and in Thy strength Thou hast carried them to Thy holy habitation " The song being ended, the Bishop of bishops, with his-, clergy and the faithful, hastened towards the battle-field. He wished that the Church of Rome should bear to the conqueror the tribute of its gratitude, that it should con- secrate that hour, the first after three centuries of struggle,, which was to free it from its chains and give it liberty' ' to works of charity and mercy. The Father of souls wished also to hasten to the dying and the wounded, so as to soothe their last sufferings on this earth and aid them on their way to the eternal father-land. Miltiades' third object was to call the sovereign's at- tention to the Christians at the circus. Alas ! would it not be too late, may they not have akeady succumbed to the fury of the executioners ? With the anxiety of a father who trembles for the safety of his children, the holy old man made haste to implore 272 VALERIA the Eovereign to send an imperial order in favour of the condemned. When the Pope appeared at the camp, the young chief had j"st assembled his staff for a council of war, and they had decided that the Emperor was to make his triumphal entry into the city that same evening. He and all his warriors were still under the powerful influence of the events of that glorious day, and while their thoughts turned sadly to those brave companions in arms who had fallen beside them, their souls were lifted in gratitude towards the God who had promised and given them tne victory. At that very hour, Constantine wished, with his own hands, to confer on Candidus, the gallant standard bearer, the insignia of military tribune, and to place the golden ring on his finger. Was not the whole honour of ti:e victory due to the Labarwn, and did not he who had borne it so faithfully, merit a share of the glory ? That was a solemn hour in the history of the world, i when the venerable Pontiff, who governed, not only the diocese of Rome but the universal Church, met the I young Emperor corwned with the laurels of victory. For more than three hundred years, Rome and the world had cursed the name of Christ, for more than three hundred years, the Emperors had not ceased to issue edicts for the most bloody persecutions of His disciples. r 5' And behold, now, Constantine miraculously won the victory and the empire through the God of the Christ- of the Christians who brought ians ; and it was the Bishop him the first tributes of homage from the Capitol. From the obscurity of the catacoir')S, where the immaculate Spouse of Chmst had lived during three centuries,8he assistance to the new Emepror, and to f rose to offer her 1' foimd, on the ruins of the old world which was crumbling, . il-l 'A 1 I, THE SAVIOUR 273 a new world, better and happier. After three long centuries, the priesthood and the empire were to meet for the first time in holy concord, messenger of peace and love. The young conqueror and those around him were struck with admiration and deep respect on 8eei»>g the venerable old man appear, his bearing all of saintly modesty and majestic dignity. In spite of himself, Constantine compar- ed the Pontiff of the Christians with Gordian and his priests he felt ; himself in the presence of the Pope, that is of a sup. rnatural power, of one sole power, descended from the heavens on earth. The supreme Pastor, constrained by the thought of the dying, hastened to express to the sovereign his joy, his gratitude, his wishes, and exposed to him the imminent danger in which the Christians at the circus were. Through respect for the Sovereign Pontiff and the Em- peror, Candidus had, up to that moment, remained at a little distance, and had not dared to question Miltiades as to his mother's fate ; but on hearing the holy old man speak of the Christians who were condemend to be ex- posed to the wild animals and of the imminent peril which menaced them, the young warrior's heart was seized with a terrible apprehension. Pale, and in a trembling voice, he cried, addressing the Pontiff : " " Holy Father, what has happened to my mother ? Miltiades hesitated ; he remained silent, and Candidus understanding all, threw himself at Constantine's feet and implored, as a favour, to be allowed to go to the circus himself. The Sovereign, touched with pity, sent for his swiftest Andalusian coursers, and while one messenger carried orders to the commander of the cavahy to lead two squad- rons to the theatre of the games, on the Appian way, he 18 VALERIA entrusted Candidus with an imperial rescript, written with his own hand, which liberated the Christians. " The news of our victory and Maxentius' fall are doubtless abeady known there, " he said to Candidus, " if it is the prisoners have certainly been set free ; other- wise, thou shalt thyself be the happy messenger who, breaking thy noble mother's chains, will lead her in triiunph into Rome, with all the other Christian captives. It is to shalt i'. the imperial dwelling of the Lateran that thou ac- of the palace shall receive company Irene ; the master orders to place an apartment at her disposal. |Go, my " " brave friend, added the Emperor kindly ; hasten, the God Who has guided our conquering steps up to Rome, " will lead thee, be sure of it, to the arms of thy mother. In his heart of hearts, Constantine, who knew Maxentius' cruelty trembled, thinking that he might have ordered a massacre of the Christians, should he be defeated, and this same fear made Candic^s' heart sink. ^ He set off in all haste, his horse's hoofs making the sparks fly as he rode along the road which runs by the right bank of the Tiber, and, crossing the Transtevere, passed before the circus of Maximus and the baths of Caracalla, on to the Appian way. His courser seemed to fly, yet he did not speed suflBciently for Candidus who would have wished to have wings ; as the minutes passed, his anxiety became more poignant, and he prayed from the depths of his soul. " Lord and My God, oh ! I beseech Thee, grant that^ " not arrive too late ! and his spurs tore the flanks of -,'i, may the noble beast, which with eyes aflame, devoured space. At the dawn of day, Valeria had gone to the circus in company w,"th a number of Christians, almost all parents, relations of the confessors of the faith. Theyjwished to " TH2 SAVIOUR 276 have the sad consolation of embracing them once more, 'of gathering up their remains, or at least, of dipping linen and sponges in their blood. A moment later, the [old deacon Severus yvsm seen to arrive with Mincius and the other fossorea to ; them belonged, more especially, the honour of carrying away the remains of the martyrs. A few words repeated by the slaves of the palace, had made known to the Christians that the combat had begim at the gates of Rome, and in their hearts arose the hope that the prisoners would escape death. But soon the first messengers from Rufus passed, and the Christians learned sorrowfully of the first success ol Maxentius' army. " " Lord, Lord, cried Valeria with passionate entreaty, " deign to hear the supplications of thy humble servant, at the prayer of thy martyrs, grant the triumph of the cross; may the Uxbarum give Constantine the Victory ! The young giri then felt a vehement desire to mingle her blood with that of the confessors of the faith, in order to turn the scales in favour of the Gaulish army. She wished to openly declare herself a Christian, for then they would lead her to join the condemned in the arena ; however, the remembrance of her father, the thought that God chose His victims Himself, made her renounce this project, though not without regret, and she begged the Lord Jesus to at least, accept her impotent desires. Just at that moment, Rufus' third and fourth panting messengers to Maxentius passed, the Emperor left the fete and hurried to the battlefield. Soon the general disor- der, the crowd leaving the circus and fleeing wildly towards Rome, left the Christians no longer in doubt ; the chances of war were evidently in favour of Constantine. Severus, beaming with joy, said to Minci^ : 276 VALERIA " Dost thou remember Balthazar and the mysterious words traced on the wall by an invisible hand : Mane, " Thicel, Pharh ? Valeria had heard the convei'sation between the deacon .* and the fosaor. " " " After Balthazar, she cried, came the kin , under whose reign Daniel was saved from the lion's den. Yes, my heart tells me the day has arrived in which the AU-Power- " ful will renew a like marvel. full Hope is the mother of consolation ; she is of charms bosom for youth wb'ch loves to lean on her maternal ; her sweet smile makes youth forget that one day the age of deception will come, an unkind step-mother, with harsh, sombre visage and heart of bronze. The thoughts of the pious girl flew onwards to a joyous with future ; she already saw Irene free, and trembled happiness. " " My God, " she sighed, is it wrong to rejoice at the hope of snatching my adopted mother away from the heavenly throne which already awaits her ? Is the heart of a daughter selfish if it beats *ast at the thought that her mother will be given back to her ? May I not rejoice when I be 'e 1 feel in my soul a divine promise, when I know not what sweet mysterious voice seems to tell me that the noble Irene, like the patriarch Jacob, will again " find her son in the days of her old age ? Valeria was most desirous of speaking to the prisoners, who the evening before, had b^n shut up in the sub- ths terraneous vaults of the circus ; she tried to soften stem centurion charged with watching them, begging him to allow her a few minutes conversation with them. But not content with repulsing her brutall: the savage asked her with bitter sarcasm if the condemned THE SAVIOUR 277 necled to hear from her lips that they were to die. " If th y do not know, " he added, " thou canst soon be a witness of their agreeable surprise when tliey shall be dragged into the Arena, to there receive the caresses of " the lions and the li opards. ~9 The deacon Severus had despatched successive couriers to Rome to carry the news that arr vet' from the battle- field. The first sent returned to announce that the imperial troops fio(Mng in confusion, poured into the city in ever increasing numbers, that Rufus had perished in the combat and they affirmed that Maxentius was a prisoner. The centurion himself questioned the bearers of the news ; but, not allowing this to influence him, he declared that it would not change the fate of the prisoners in any way ; he had received orders from the Emperor himself, and he would remain faithful to him. " " You Christians, he added with a glance of hatred, " you hope for the fall of Maxentius, and you are already preparing songs of joy for his death ; but know this, if he falls, I, his centurion, will be careful to offer the blood of your brothers as a first libation in honour of the illus- " trious dead, my Master. " " " Friend, gently mpUed Severus, if Constantme is conqueror, thou art following a bad path in xecu^i' i^ so barbarous a conunand, and thou mightest repenr .f it " when too late. But the centurion, whose rage but increased »- be news oi the reverses Maxentius sustained was con ^^ remained inflexible in his resolution of msssacn * condemned ; the Christians then lost all hope of - =^ them. Valeria alone preserved her firm confidence. How wol ^ " 278 VALERIA help come ? She did not know, but with ardent faith she awaited it from God's divine goodness, and took refuge in the tender ^nercies of the heavenly Father. " No, " she said, " He has not let such swee' hope shine before us only to plimge us once more into a decepLon, the more cruel because wo believed that we had obtained deliverance ; no, after having arrested Abraham's i\rm by his angel, He did not arm it anew with the sword of sacrifice. The sweetest hopes hovered around her soul like angels of peace and consolation, and it seemed to her that she already held Irene, her second mother, in her arms ; she seemed to see her surrounded, as with a crown, I " all the confessors, joyous aiid free. She thought she ah^ ^dy saw them entering Rome with joy, singing the triumph of the Church. Severus had posted Mincius as a sentinel on the hill, near the tomb of the Comelii, with the last hope that per- haps some absolutely certain news of the decisive victory of Constantine might arrive at the circus, and change the ill-will of the centurion. After long waiting, the faithful Jossor at last sighted an approaching Norseman. The centurion immediately proceeded with some of 3 f his soldiers to the Appian way and was toUowed by many Christians. The horseman arrived ; he was the messenger sent by Paulinus to his children, who had taken refuge in the home of the Quintilii. The Christians gathered round him anxiously, even Mincius had left his post of obser- vation to hear the messenger's news ; but, vainly did he give certain news of the issue of the battle, vainly did he afl&rm Maxentius' fall and death, the centurion, with rage in his heart, swore he would be revenged on the Christians for the death of his Master. THE BAVIOUto 279 Suddenly he dashed forward into tbe circua like a very panther. " Here, " he said to his Holdiers, " here, in the middle of the arena, at the foot of the statue Rom* ';i8 wo shall offer a great aacrifice to the Hhade of the divi: - M^xentius." In vain did all the faithful together implore him to renounce the execution ot that inhuman order, in vain did Severus the old deacon, cast himself at the feet of the cen- turion ; the touching supplications of the white haired old man lett the v .. h inflexible. He went ' imself into the dungeons t • 1 r ig forth the Christians whom he surrounded with his soldiers to lead them to death. Valeria perceived Irene, calm and serene ; mute with sorrow, she stretched out her arms to her whom she called her mother and lifted up her tears of grief to the throne of infinite mercy ; with the faithful, the weeping girl followed the confessors who went forward to martyrdom. But divine power was already making itself felt : the news brought by Paulinus' messenger, had sped Trom mouth to mouth, and the soldiers of the cohort, hearing that Maxentius, vanquished, had perished in the Tiber, that Ror -^ was in Constantine's power, asked themselves what woi • be for themselves, the consequences of a butchery conuiianded by a Caesar who no longer lived. It was with repugnance and murmuring that they had led the prisoners to the ciracs ; but when the centurion ordered them to draw the sword and strike the innocent disarmed group, the warriors revolted and refused to obey. Valeria longed to throw herself into leme's arms, but feelings of delicacy and modesty kept her away, she wished to leave the happy mother entirely to the son who had saved her life. How touching were the circumstances of their reunion 280 VALEBIA after such a long absence ! And how much did those two hearts tell each other in that silence which alone can ex- press great joy as it does sorrow. When, after the tempest, the rose bends its head still heavy with the raindrops, the sun reflects itself in the drops, which are like so many diamonds, while he gives back to the flower its perfume and its charms ; even so was Irene, her face bathed in tears, a heavenly smile on her Ups, she looked at her son while her soul sent up to heaven a su- preme hymn of love and gratitude. Suddenly her eyes fell -' on Valeria and she opened her arms to her. The mother I! and daughter held each other in a tender embrace ; it h'l seemed to them as if a divine hand had removed from their lips the cup of suffering from which they had so long drunk, and that that beneficent hand was distilling into their souls the delights of paradise. " " My Gon, my God ! what will it be in heaven ! they cried as with one voice. The matron then remembered that she ought to present the young patrician to her son. " God alone, " said Valeria, " can reward thee, noble Candidus, for the eminent happiness which you have just brought us all, for this hour of joy which reminds us of " eternity. " " It is, alas ! the fate of the soldier, replied the young warrior with emotion, " to shed blood and to spread car- nage ; but it belongs to him also, sometimes, to snatch victims from death and to defend the oppressed. How proud, then, is he to save those who suffer, even though it be at the cost of his life ; but who can tell the joy of a son to whom it is given to arrest the sword held over a beloved mother's head, and with her, to save the glorious confes- sors of Christ ? He who has tasted this happiness once in ;^»i THE SAVIOUR 281 his life, counts as nothing ephemeral laurels " which fade so quickly. Valeria understood all. " Oh ! powerful " and good God ! ^^ she exclaimed, ' I give Thee thanks, oh ! Thou who savest Moses from the hands of Pharao and Daniel in the lion's den, Thou who hast never confounded those who have trusted in Thee. " And, already certain of the deliverance of the confes- sors, she threw herself into Irene's arms ; but the centur- rion repulsed her with savage violence. " By " Hercules ! he " shouted my Emperor shall be obeyed and revenged ! If you, ungratelul soldiers, if you forget the divine Maxentius and his benefits, if you rebel against his " orders, I alone shall . know. . While wrath choked his utterance, a clamour was heard among the dense crowd assembled around the circus. " A horseman is advancing along the Appian way at full " gallop, they cried from all parts. With a sullen look the centurion lowered his sword and sent his soldiers to the entrance of the circus. Valeria and the Christians, in inexpressible anguish, followed them with their eyes. An armed horseman was coming down the slope of the Appian way at full speed his ; pace was vertiginous, and his horse's flanks seemed to graze the ground. It was thus that Candidus, for it was he, —arrived hke the wind traversing space while still ; at a distance, he waved a papyrus and shouted with a loud voice : " Stop ! in the " name of the Emperor, stop ! Descending from his foam-covered charger, he bounded into the arena, into the midst of the crowd that gave way to make room for him, and threw himself into Irene's " " 282 VALERIA " ! aims which were stretched out to him, crying : Mother Speechless with joy, the Christian kissed her son's " ! head, while he could only repeat : Mother, my Mother -" J 1 and hold her close to his heart. The soldiers themselves were touched even to tears, the centurion did not conceal his great surprise at the appear- ity ance of the military tribune, still clad in armour, who miraculously snatched his victims from him. He had already read the order from Constantine that Candidus had thrown towards him while dismounting, and his ear caught the sound of the gallop of the Gaulish horsemen in the distance. " The gods are my witness, " said the centurion aloud, *' that it was impossible for me to keep the oath I made to the divine Maxentius. Let the will ot the conqueror ! then be accompUshed ! Prisoners, you are free The Christians received these words with exclamations of joy ; the deacon Severus intoned a hymn of gratitude, and all thanked heaven. Here, a husoand took his beloved wife into his armes ; there, a father, a mother, with faces bathed in tears, pressed their children to their hearts, brother embraced brother and sisters, and the sweetest tears fed from all eyes. When heaven pours the oil of consolation into the lamps that are about to be extinguish- ed, the flame burns up immediately ; thus from the spot f: i I i where the sacrifice of the martyrs was to have been ac- complished now rose the incense of a fervent prayer of gratitude, and the most High in his paternal goodness, received it lovingly. ha The Gaulish squadron had dismounted, and finding that the prisoners were already set at liberty, bethought themselves of recruiting their strength, exhausted by the .4i fatiguing day, for, since morning, and during the hard THE SAVIOUR 283 oombat, they had not had time to think of their meal. These brave men soon retured to announce to the tribune that they had found in the gallery, above the en- trance gate, a table sumptuously served for Maxentius and his court they ; came to invite the young warrior and the confessors of the faith, who had been fasting since the Caena libera, to share in it. At the end of the gallery, some cavaliers, proud Gauls «till pagans, perceived the bust of Maxentius, and remem- bering the insults offered but a short time before to the sta- tue of Constantine, they tore out its eyes, in their turn, pro- mising themselves that they would carry it back to Rome as a trophy of their victory. During this time, the Chris- tian warriors, before thinking of themselves, pressed around those who had suffered for the faith and lovingly served the confessors of Christ. After this fraternal agape, having returned thanks to the God of armies and the conqueror Christ, the happy troop took their way towards the city. Valeria was in haste to inform her father of Irene's deliverance and that of the other prisoners ; Candidus gave orders that a horseman should take Mincius up behind him, so that the fossor might the more quick- ly carry the joyful news to his humble home and to ride on ahead. While on the way, Irene questioned her son about the events of the campaign, and particularly about the ter- rible battle of the bridge Milvius. The two women felt hearts beat with holy pride at the recital of the Divine intervention and the prodiges of the labarum. It seemed to them, after a dark and sombre night, that they were Aivitnessing the rising of a radiant sun, the messenger of peace, happiness and love. 284 VALBRIA IM' Irene, in her turn, told her son of her long trials, and in doing this, told also of those of Rufinus, of Valeria and of the other confessors. The young patrician, with maidenly modesty which but enhanced her beauty, tried to pass lightly over the praise and tender admiration which her adopted mother intermingled with her recital, in speaking of this daughter so dear to her heart. And the brave warrior, deeply touched, said with conviction that the ex- ploits of Constantine's army, Uke the triumphs of the la- harum, were, doubtless, the fruit of the sorrows of those .[I in while the soldiers \ who had suffered so heroically Rome, fought under the protecting power of Christ. The young tribune could not conceal his admiration on hearing Irene tell of the heroic devotedness of her dear Valeria, how she had shrunk from no sacrifice to snatch able her father from the Mamertine prison ; how not being to succeed, she had wished to share his frightful captivity; how, finally, she had climbed the Calvary whose painful heights we have seen her ascend. Candid' o asked him- self if it were possible that the walls of Rome could con- tain a more noble character, a more admirable Christian. When the young girl, at the request of the matron, told of all that followed the latter's imprisonment, Valeria unconsciously betrayed her own nobleness of soul, and excited the admiration of her listeners ; and Candidus, in his heart of hearts, thought there was none to equal her except his beloved mother. It was arranged that Irene and her son should accom- pany Valeria to the home of Mincius, where Rufus was ; the tribune informed the two noble women that one wing of the Lateran palace was placed at the 'sposition of Irene and her friends ; Rufinus and his . ; hter could therefore freely make use of it till an imperia. edict should THE SAVIOUR 285 render to the august condemned their confiscated property. At that time, all the approaches to the Via Appia, from the gate to the boundary of Caracalla and still further, were inhabited and even thickly peopled. By the side of " the old tomb of the Scipios and the " Colombarii, Augustus' freed men, rose houses, palaces and villas in great numbers. The nearer therefore, the tribune and his noble suite approached to the city, the more full of life were the streets, and the signs of joy became more lively at the news of the aJmost miraculous deliverance of the condemned. Sur- p.ise and admiration filled all hearts, and all pressed around the confessors of the faith. At the entrance to the city, each took a different way ; arrived at the bridge that crossed the Liber, Candidus stopped a cart and made his mother and Valeria get In, for he saw they were tired, and he accompanied them himself on his beautiful Anda- lusian charger. On that side of the Transtevere Irene and Valeria were not very well known it ; must be remembered too that at that time of persecution, the young patrician had dis- guised herself in the costume of the common women, Irene also, perhaps therefore ; the general curiosity was greatly excited at the sight of the humble vehicle escorted by the proud tribune ol Constantine's army. To this day, all the poor of the Transtevere live in the streets the artisans ; work at the threshold of their open doors, the old women place their stalls before their dwell- ings and try to gain a ^ Hards by their small sales ; I it was the same then, h uese people were put into com- motion : children and grown people, men and women fol- owed, full of curiosity, and were still more puzzled when they saw the strangers enter one of the poorest streets of 286 TALBBIA the quarter and stop before the humble lodging where Mincius the foaaor lived. Vainly did they question the driver of the cart : many a time was he obUged to answer that he did not know who the tribime and his companions m ' were. Finally, some of the neighbours, recognising their benefactresses, told the crowd that the matron and her adopted daughter often traversed the streets of their quarter and were the friends of all the unfortunate there ; though they themse'^'-es seemed to be suffering some great tribime, it the first misfortune ; as for the military was time they saw him. From the moment that Rustica had heard that a battle was being fought at the bridge Milvius, and more espe- cially since the agitation in the town had penetrated a& far as the Transtevere, the poor woman's anxiety was un- bounded and she reproached herself bitterly for allowing tell herself that Valeria to go alone ; vainly did she Mincius was watching over the young patrician., vainly did she seek to console herself by saying that she could not have left her little babe, nothing could tranqullize her. The news of the certitude of Constantine's victory, brought by a neighbour, could not make her rejoice, for Rustica also trembled believing that Maxentius would have given the Christians up to the executioner's sword before setting out for the field of battle. The blind old woman was surprised to find that her daughter heeded not the cries of the tame crow which she generally attended to so r; rrfully. It was useless for him to ask for his food and pull at her dress, hopping about and croaking, Rustica remained deaf to the importunities of the little beggar, and did not even hear when, with all his strength he cried : Ave Rustica ! " " My daughter, " at last, said her mother, hast thou iT "AVIOUR 287 had bad news ? I don't understand thee to-day, " thou seemest very anxious. "Mother, " she replied, "my thoughts are with the Christians at the circus. . . I know nothing new, Mincius has not yet returned but " ; he often spends his nights out. After trying to soothe her mother, Rustica went to Rufinus who had allowed Valeria to go to see the prisoners much against his will he ; was anxious at not seeing her return, and his anxiety would have been greater had he been informed of the events of the day. But Rustica had been careful not to tell him anything up tUl then, and it was only m order to divert his thoughts from the circus that she deemed it better after all to tell him how Con- stantine had routed Rufus' legions and how Maxentius, completely defeated, had perished m the Tiber. Constantine's victory filled Rufinus with joy, but he was gneved that his daughter was not there to hear such consoling news. The sun was already setting behind the Latium mountains, and neither Valeria nor Mincius had returned poor Rustica ; whose heart was torn with an> guish, knew not how to longer hide her sorrow ; if it had! been possible to leave her noble guest and the poor, blind old woman, she would have flown to the circus carrying her son m her arms but ; she could not think of such a thing. Many and manv a time did she open the low door of her home and tr to tje if she could perceive the dear absent ones in tL narrow street. At last, the young woman saw Mincius coming, but he was alone ! What had become of Valeria ? More dead than alive, she rushed out to meet him ; while yet far off his radiant face reassured her ; Mnicius told her of Can- didus' arrival, the deUverance of Irene and the other con- 288 VALERIA feasors, at the moment they were about to be massacred, and how Valeria had -wished that without further delay he should carry the news to her father. " Dost thou not know, " cried Rustica joyfully. " dost thou not know where the tribune Candidus will take t.^e noble Irene ? for no earthly power will keep me away. I " wish to go and congratulate the mother and the son. " " ac- " I suppose, replied Mincius, that he will first " company her to the Aventines. " Impossible, impossible, " she cried, " that would not be convenient for them. But hasten to announce the " glad news to our august patient, do not lose a moment. I I Following her husband and quite beside hers.^lf, she cried on entering her poor home. " " Be blessed, my God, be blessed a thousand times ! Valeria out of danger and full of joy, Irene saved with for the tri- all the Christian prisoners, Rome preparing umphal entry of Cjnstantine, such was the news with the latter rejoiced which Mincius gladdened his guest ; the more as he had suffered so much in the hour of trial. Valeria arrived A few minutes later, Irene and ; the girl threw herself into her father's am j. " " free, and all the " Father, she cried, Irene is free ! them ! They are other prisoners also ! Candidus saved " wish you.. both there and desire to see and . " " Wish what ? daughter's Rufinus rose, and leaning on his beloved hearts were shoulder, went forward to meet them. All overwhehned with joy, and no palace on earth witnessed such happiness as that which the poor home of the fossor the witnessed. The poor blind old woman wished to kiss and Rust- hand of the hero, the saviour of the Christians, if she feared ica ran to fetch her son from his cradle, as THE SAVIUOR 380 that he would raiss his share of felicity if his eyes hlso did not look upon the face of the young warrior.' ^rene pressed the humble Transteverian to her heart and Candidus guessing the heroic courage of the young woman and her sweet charity thanked her for having saved the Ufe of the Prefect of Rome. With one accord Irene and the tribune, Kufinus, and Valeria, >^ith humid eyes, thanked Mincius and Rusti. a and their mother most heartily for the immense charity ^^ith which these noble hearts had not ceased to surround them. Rustica always so lively and quick to reply, remained mute and abashed before so much praise but ; great tears filk i her eyes as well ad those of the fossor However quite a crowd had gathered in the narrow street, and Rustica undertook to satisfy the curiosity of her well meaning neighbours. When they learned who Mmcius' illustrious guests were, the jo> of these poor people was great. We nave already seen that Rufinus was beloved by the people because of his kindness to the poor and the remembrance of Sophronia's charity ; each one therefore wished to see the Prefect and snow him their respect. When Mincius' noble guesfs left his humble dwelling wishing him every blessing, the crowd followed their carriage with cries of joy, young and old pressed around so closely that they barred the way of the horses. The whole Transteverian quarter thus formed a triumphal cortege Jor the just and upright Prefect Rufinus. The/o.s-.sor and his wife followed the carriage with their eyes to the end of the street, then they were obliged to tell with details, all the incidents of this touching story • but Rustica was careful n jt to reveal the name ot the com- passionate carter who liad snatched the Prefect from death, 19 ' I 290 TALXBIA Ml: and to bide her own courageous devotion. With humble this was but a simple duty of •I modesty she thought that s'-Tiess of plan charity and gratitude ; and besides, the her was due to God alone. She contented hen-elf then by relat- ing that on that night, Mincius, when receiving the Prefect, thought that he was opening his door to a mendicant, who was 80 ill that it was impossible to refuse him shelter. Candidus had charged the foasor to go and announce to the Pope, v/ho had remained on the field of battle, that it be guessed with the Christians were saved ; and can what charity the faithful Mincius acquitted himself of this glorious ant! joyous errand. The steward of t^e palace received the new comers m the magnificent apartments of the Lateran. He understood that the more honorably he treated the Emperor's guescs the more easily would he win the gcod graces of the new sovereign, and consequently he spared nothing to make the hospitality shown worthv of those whom Constantine wished to honour. Twilight had already spread its wings over the great city, the tribime left the palace to return to the camp. While traversing the streets, he saw that the windows and the balconies were being covered with branches of laural, wreaths of flowers and hangings for the solemn ' I entry of the conqueror. The statue of Maxentius had been overturned in the forum and children danced and sang ilA among the debris scattered on the ground. I When Candidus passed, the people recognizing a tri- bune of the victorious army, saluted him joyfully. On the Camp of Mars, and along the road he was frequently stopped by deputations from the nimierous associations who were on their way, with palms and laurels, to meet ^e victor. ;•< Si 1.'/ THB SAVIOUR 291 All along the Flaminian way, the houses and villas were illuminated ; groups of country people, torch in hand, danced on the distant heights around gigantic bonfires which reddened the sky. The horseman rode on, thinking over the events which had filled this ever memorable day ; before his eyes passed the sanguinary combat of the morning, he experienced again the glorious delight of triumph, and then his poignant anguish, his hopes, and his intense happiness when it was given him to save his mother and to press her to his heart, and lastly his joy in having snatched from death so many generous confessors of Christ. And it seemed to him that the sweet presence of Ire., end Valeria hovering around him, accompanied him like visions of peace, like angels of consolation. ^ CHAPTER XY THE CONQUEBOH'S ENTRANCE We lef' *liltiades on the battle field where the supreme pastor of souls, assisted by many of the faithful, and absorbed in his divine mission, carried to the wounded and the dying the succour and the consolations that only the God of love can bestow at that hour. The number of Christian soldiers who had fallen in the battle was but small, and it was easy enough to recognize them. " Pax Ucum " murmured the venerable Pontiff while bending over the unfortunates, who lay on the ground consumed with fever or parched by the loss of blood ; the poor pagans understanding nothing of this salutation, replied : " Ah ! why do you speak to me of peace ? it is water, water that I need. By Hercules ! give me water to quench the thirst which devours me. " Then at a sign from the holy bishop, the faithful hasten- ed ind charitably surrounded the dying warriors with every care. Alas ! they could do nothing for their souls. Sonaetimes however the contrary happened ; the wounded rejoiced, their faces became transfigured and in a faltering voice, they murmured. *' Oh ! be blessed, my Father, thou who bringest me the " pledge of mercy. And the Sovereign Pontiff quickly bestowed on their soul the supreme pardon. Miltiades aporoached a depression in the ground where the dead bodies piled high showed that it had been the 294 VALERIA scene of a bloody struggle ; suddenly, his eyes fell on a face that was familiar to him ; he recognize Martial, the valiant Hercules, who had erstwhile saved Severus who was dying. Covered with frightful wounds, the brave soldier opened his eyes and cried : " Father, wash me in the water which will make me a child of Christ, I wish to belong to Him, I wish to die a " Christian. There was not a moment to be lost ; Miltiades knelt besides the dying man and recited the Apostle's creed and the act of contrition. " Martial, from the bottom of your heart, ask pardon for the sins of your whole life, " he said ; and he then poured the regenerating waters on the brow of the barbarian. Peace, not of this earth spread itself over the already cold face of Martial, while the holy Pontiff anointed him with the oil of the dying, and as if death had been commanded to wait till then. The last unction was scarcely performed when the soul of the new Christian, all tranfigured, took its flight to its heavenly home. Twilight had fallen on the vast plain strewn with the dead and the dying, and Miltiades, with the faithful, was still there attending them with indefatigable charity. From his tent, Constantino had seen and admired the heroic devotedness of the Pontiff and the faithful. " Why is it, " said he to himself, " that Gordianus and his priests do not attend thus to our warriors ? The Christians celebrate the joys of triumph by the care of " the wounded, and not in libations and feastings. The Emperor did not yet know the words of love which fell from tne lips of the Divine Master : " All that you did to one of these my least brethren, " you did it unto me. THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 205 In order to give his troops some repose and because of the preparations necessary for the ftte, Constantine's triumphal entry was put off till nightfall. The parapets of the bridge Milvius were broken, the cortege could not follow the Flaminian way ; it was decided therefore, that it should follow the right bank of the Tiber, and from the Vatican reach the mole of Adrian by the bridge iElius, and from there, enter the city\ The elite of each legion had been chosen to accompany the conqueror with standards flying ; by express order, the labarum preceded him inomediately. He himself ap- peared in his chariot drawn by four white horses, the imperial purple on his shoulders, his brow encircled with the golden diadem, surrounded by his legates, the chiefs of the army and all his officers. The Senators, horsemen and all those whose rank gave them the right to take part in the cortege, preceded or followed the conqueror. The triumphal cortege, lighted by thousand of torches and flambeaux, advanced amidst cries of joy, while bon- fires illuminated the heights of Mount Mario and the Vatican. On the slope of the Vatican hill, the deserted circus of Nero could still be seen ; it was there for the first time that Christian blood had flowed in Rome ; around the obelisk which marks the centre, the faithful dipped in molten lead, had burned hke living torches to illuminate the obscurity of the nights, when the imperial chariot passed. Before that obeUsk now passed in triumph the name of Christ which was then so despised ; instead of the groans of the victims, the songs of joy of the children and grandchildren of the martyrs now resounded ; the 1. Baronius admits that Constantine made his triumphal entry from the Vatican side and not by the bridge Milvius. 296 VALERIA air re-echoed with their cry of victory Christua viwit I The day was to come when the obelisk, extracted from the ruins of the circus, would stand near the tomb of the poor Galilean Fisherman and bear the cross triumphant with the inscription : Christus vincit ! On the spot where the modest mortuary chapel, and where the whitened bones of Peter reposed, was to rise like a " heaven in the heavens, " the immense basilica of the Prince of the Apostles. Near the chapel, " the little flock of Christ " would gather in the year 312, to see their deliverer pass. One day, from the loggia of the g- at basilica, Peter's successor, wearing the ring 6f the Fisherman, would extend his hands to bless, ' :hat vast square, thousands ot the faith- Christians. m ii ful, and in the v,iiole world itself, millions of l-:L At the time when Constantine began his triumphal march, Adrian's mausoleum appeared in all its splendor, with its many columns, its statues of Oljmpus and the colossal figure of the Emperor which arose above it. Under- neath in the sepulchual vaults in urns of porphyry, re- few posed the ashes ot the Sovereign of the world ; yet a years, and the hands of the barbarians were to disperse them to the four winds of heaven, a few generations later, and the statue of Adrian would be replaced by that of the Archangel St. Michael, the glorious heavenly protector of the Church, the statues of the false gods would be over- turned, the mausoleum would lose its ancient name and I' ' 1 > white marble angels, bearing the emblems of the passion of Christ, would one day guard the bridge iElius, then IP '*! called the bridge Holy Angel. Did Constantine have a presentiment of all these trans- I il formations ? Did he cherish the noble ambition of being the first to set his hands to the work ? One might almost THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 297 think so, on seeing how he hastened to raise, over the tomb of Peter, the most magnificent basilica of the West, making use of the circus of Nero for this purpose. On the front was engraven an inscription which centuries have not effaced : " Constantine the conqueror, has erected this princely dwelling for Thee so that all many rise triumphant to heaven under Thy guidance. " From the bridge JElius, the cortege entered the streets of the city. The doors, the windows, the walls of the houses and of the temples were brilliant with innumerable lights the torches ; on the terraces, lighted up the whole town, while on thousands cf brasiers, incense and myrrh were thrown in profusion. Loud cries of joy from the terraces responded to the glad clamour which rose from the streets. Every voice spoke in praise of the conqueror all proclaimed him Libemtar urbis, fundator pads, words which may be still be seen engraven on his arch triumph " of : Saviour of the town, founder of " peace. If the joy of all the Roman people delivered from the bloody yoke of the cruel tyrant was universal and sincere, ; hat of the Christians was still more deep. A great num- ber of the condenned, who had been set free by the Senate, were their brothers, their relations, snatched from the hand of death itself. The hope that the Church had placed in Constantine had been confirmed by the welcome the Pope had received from him, and by the measures taken to save the victims of the circus. Consequently the Cross and the name of the Lord were seen illuminated on the houses of the Christians. It was not without astonishment that the Romans, still attached to the old worship of their ancestors, saw the number of the faithful whom the bloody 2!98 VALERIA persecution had but miraculously increased. The cortege passed betore Pompey's theatre, turned round by the Capitol and the Palestine, then, ascending the Via Sacra, passed under the arch of triumph of Titus, in the direction of the Forum. On the high platform which surrounded 8V=. the square for the temple of Rome, as had been previously arrranged with Candidus, Irene and Valeria, awaited the Emperor's passing. Rufinus had wished to accompany them, but it would have been imprudent to expose his health, still, so feeble, to the cold night air. By order of the master of the Lateran palace, slaves had brought the noble matron and Valeria in closed litters. ' The bath, ..j rich robes in which they were clad, the refreshments they had just taken, and more especially the joy that filled their souls, had effaced all traces of past suffering, of which they only retained a holy and austere reflection. Both of them looked at the old Palatine hill, rising proudly with its crown of sumptuous edifices brilliantly illuminated ; to their right, was the arch of triumph of Titus surmounted by the quadrige, to their left, at the bottom of the valley, the Coliseum, the ever glorious arena of Christianisty. " See, " said Irene to the young girl, showing her the I I dark pile of Vespasian's colossal amphitheatre, " see how i i the people crowd under the galleries and the arches. Diverted from the bloody spectacles of the arena, where, so often, they were glutted with the blood of the Christian martyrs, they await, at this hour, the triumphal march of the labarum, on which the name of Christ will make its " glorious entry into the capital of the world. ilH " Yes, " replied Valeria, " before the arch of Titus which cclcbrateb the victory of Rome over Jerusalem and o udaism, iiilii THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 299 the arch of triumph of Constantine will proclaim the tri- umph oi the cross over Rome and paganism. Where could it better stand than before the Coliseum, where the martyrs " fought so valiantly and fell so nobly ? " " It would be, as it were, a replica of the arch of Titus, said Irene smiling " ; and what then will be that of the Palatine the " ; palace of the Caesars ? answered Valeria, allowing herself to be carried away, at this hour of delight- ful hope, by the projects of a he?rt which opens anew to joy. " The palace of the Csesars, what can replace it, if not the temple of the King of Heaven, the altar of the only God, whence the Vicar of Christ will bless Rome and " the whole world ? The joyful cries of the people and the ringing sound of the trumpets suddenly announced the approach of the cortege. From the galle-ips of the Coliseum, from all the windows, from the tops o . olonnades and the enta- blatures of the temples, flowers and wreaths were showered upon the conqueror, his name was echoed from mouth to mouth. Young men even mounted up on the shoulders of the statues of the gods and made the air resound with the cries of triumph. After the torch bearers, came the detachments of soldiers, their standards crowned with flowers ; the Christians could be recognized by the monogram of Christ, with which they had decorated their cuirasses. In the magnificent cortege Irene's and Valeria's eyes only sought the labarum. The mother's heart beat with noble pride when she perceived Candidus advancing at the head of his troops, and proudly bearing the sacred standard before the triumphal car. The tribune raised his tyes to the two women, while they cast their wreaths on the cross. The young warrior turned towards them, 300 VALERIA the name of the Lord all gleaming with gold and precious stones, and his mother's gentle look was sweeter to him than the enthusiastic acclamations of the immense crowd. The Senate, gathered together at the temple of the Conc(yrd, awaited the new Emperor, to there sanction his dignity by the Lex Regia, according to ancient usage. This was an empty formula ; however, Constantine, through prudence, was careful not to slight these rites which were superannuated but very dear to the Paires conscripti. He listened, calm and dignified, to the long discourse with which the best orator of the Senate saluted the conqueror, and then immediately went up to the Palatine ; but, giving as a pretext, the lateness of the hour, he avoided going to thank Jupiter Capitolinus in his temple. Already, the Senators, the greater nimiber of whom were much attached to the gods, had noticed, not without displeasure, that the conqueror had not burned incense before the altar of Victory. While everj^body hailed the Emperor, Symmachus stood afar in the temple, his heart filled with anger, and could not make up his mind to follow Constantine to the Palatine ; his eyes in which there burned a dark flame, wandered restlessly over the brilliantly lighted Forum and the crowd whose joy was almost a delirium. From the midst of the crowd Lactantius had watched the entry of the conqueror ; when the latter turned to i; go towards the curia of the Senate, he remained behind to hold converse with his own thoughts in silence. He slowly approached the Temple of Concord where Diocle- tian had consecrated his imperial dignity ten years before. It was in that very place that the persecuting Emperor had ajunoimced to the Senate that he did not wish to die till he had exterminated Christianity ; he had shed rivers THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 301 of Christian blood. Five years later, in that same Temple of Concord was read publicly the decree in which he re- signed the empire and laid down his crown. At that moment, broken in health and spirit, Diocletian lived in dark despair on the cold shores of Dalmatia. If, from his retreat, he could have seen the fetes of that evening, he would have understood that he also had been vanquished by the Cross. Lactantius was mounting the steps of the temple, when he perceived Symmachus, with his arms folded, leaning against a pillar and plunged in profound meditations. " Perhaps, " " said he to himself, the march of events modifying the ideas of my old pupil, might have shown him the vanity of the false " gods, and he .sal ted him affectionately. The dark brow of the Senator grew darker, he perceived Lactantius. Enemy of " the EmpirCj he cried bitterly, looking at his old master " whym he had once loved, you rejoice now at this victory, the greatest misfortune perhaps, that has ever befallen Rome. Never, since she has existed, have the conquerors failed to go up to the capitol, to there thank the immortal gods. Constantine did not even deign to otfer sacrifice to victory ! tutelaiy divinities of our ancient city, can such " a crime remain unpunished ! " Thou accusest us, Symmachus, of being the enemies of the Empire because we are Christians, " ^ said Lac- 1. The reproach of being tfic encinios of the State was always the lying pretext for the persecutions against the Church. It was thus that Nero, unable to prove the ealuminy that he had himself spread against the Christians, accusing them of setting fire to Rome, tried to exterminate them, not only as ei.emies of the State but as enemies of humanity. " . 302 VALWRIA in tantius calmly. Can you mention the day, the hour which we revolted against our Emperors, even when they crushed and persecuted us ? Have we not, on the contrary prayed unceasingly for them, rendering good for evil, according to the law of Christ in Whom we place all mourning, our hope ? Thou cursest this day as a day of prisons have been and I, I bless it, because to-day the be- opened, giving liberty to numbers of innocent ones, the executioners have been obliged to lay- •.! i cause to-day extinguish their aside their instruments of torture and homicidal brasiers, finally, because to-day the victorious horrible sword of the conqueror has put an end to the have been tyranny of a usurper. If the gods of paganism the powerless before the mysterious sign wJich has led that conqueror from triumph to triumph to Rome, be sure against their the Christ will be able also to protect him vengeance. What can the demons do against the all- thou, powerful God ? A day will come when thy son, il not the Senate, and will see the Goddess Victory dethroned in as . . the statues of thy Olympus relegated to the museums a great works of art. That would be even doing them honour ! U " When the populace seizes the power, even though :t " affecting be but for an hour, cried Symmachus angrily, '• to its arro- deep disdain, it sets no limit to its audacity, gance." anger, and 1 " I attribute these unjust words to thy " " art mistaken, !i.; pardon thee, rcpUed the old man. Thou Symmachus; the events of this day are the glorious of ,oppression. triumph ot truth after three centuries irresistible ! the whole world, with 1 This day proclaims to convinces of folly logic, the divinity of Christianity, and r to the false gods. the worhip it has, up till now rendered I 1 1 ' I. IvLmm 1 lI ) THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 308 For a long time past now, have not their statues been covered with cobwebs, in your deserted temples ? Does not the grass already grow thickly on the steps of your sanctuaries Why, ? O Symmachus, despairingly clasp a corpse in thy arms ? Why attach thyself obstinately to superstitious beliefs ? In a few years, they will find an echo only among the ignorant. " Symmachus, who was furious turned away from his master, and without answering a word, took a by-path to his palace, so as to avoid the crowd and the sight of its joy. However, Lactantius' words were a prophesy. In vain was the son of Symmachus to one day display all the power of his eloquence to save the statue of Victory, the last vestige of expiring paganism ; she was to descend from her pedestal, once so venerated, and it was a Christian poet. Prudence, who was to ask that the vain images of the gods be preserved as works of art : Artifidum magna^ rum opera. That same evening, Lactantius conceived the plan of a work that became celebrated and which he entitled- De morlibus persecutorum. (The death of the persecutors Drawing from authentic historical documents, he depicts m Uvely colours, the ruin and sad death of all the perse- cutors of the Church. Anived at the temple of Rome, Symmachus, hidden by the shades of night, leaned against one of the beautiful porphyry pillars of the peristyle, his back turned to* the rejoicing people. From these solitary heights, his eyes wandered over the Forum, over all the many temples and commemorative columns, monuments of the glorious history of a thousand years, they followed the outUnes of the temple and the citadel which crowned the Capitol 304 ' VALERIA and stood out clear and majestic against the starlit sky. He loved Rome passionately, the Rome of his ancestors, with its ancient institutions, its temples, its gods. He had inherited from his forefathers all the pride of a true Roman, he had firmly counted on help from Olympus, and it now seemed to him as if the earth was slipping away from under his feet. " Why, O ye gofis ! have you permitted such a calam- r )i ity " he " ? muttered in a low voice. What ! Rome, the honor of the human race, the sovereign of nations, van- quished, ,"« . crushed to-day by the standard of the crucifietl Jew, the throne of the Csesurs tarnished by an Emperor is who traitor ^o our gods ! Oh ! quit, quit your funeral couch^, come foith from your tombs, Cat(- and Brutus, Scipio and thou, O powerful Augustus ! come, come to " sigh and weep with me over a too great misfortune. " Who speaks thus, if not the most noble of Romans, the Senator Symmachus ? " softly murmured Gordianus, the priest of the Sun interrupting him. He had jist offered the tawoboUum or the sacrifice of the bull to his divinity. The Senator and he had known each other in their youth, and each saw, without difficulty, that the other s.iared his regrets. Gordianus, accompanying Symmachus to his palace, made it his business to console his bitter sorrow. " When the god Sun, at the closing of the day, retires " behind the clouds to his cjuch of gold, he said, "or when he hides himself in the bosom of the sea, the mists of night overspread the %'SI i* earth ; then serpents and .scor- pions come out from their hiding-places, but the invinciblt god sleeps but for a moment. When I poured out the blood, still warm, of the bull on the altar, and with mysterious words implored in l)ehalf of Rome, the power of the THE CONgUKROK's KNTllANCB 30S god who enlightens U8, then I rea days ; after this year of years, the suiMjrstitious Cluistians " will disappear. " But the last calor 's of this year should not now he far off, " replieil Symniuchus ; more than three hundred years have passed since the jxmsou of this shameful sect ." was spread amongst us, it is and precisely to-day. . " " The scorpion tha^ entered Koine ton lay in triumph, cried Gordianus interrupting S>7nmachus, whose thought " he had guessed, the scorpion and the (lalilean Vii)er have formed an alliance, Imt they will not keep the power. noble No, no, Sj-nmiachus ; in the east, the god Sun ri.ses triumphant and he hastens, dissipating the mist of night, and forcing the reptiles to retire into their dark holes. I swear to thee, this royal svmrisc is nearer than " thou dost suppose. " " How can I give credence to what thou sayest ? questioned Symmachus anxiously. " To-c'ay, the name we curse, the abhorred name of the Nazarean has made " its entr>' into Rome, into the Curia, into the Palatine ! " Remember Maximianus, " replied (Jordianus with a Satanic expression of face, in which there mingled both joy and ferocious hatred, " the Emperor of the cast, the sworn enemy of the Christians ! Between him and Con- stantine, a duel unto death is about to begin ; and by all " the gods ! it is Maximianus who will conquer. On concluding these words, Gordianus took leave of the Senator and directed his steps towards the Palatine, 20 306 VALERIA there to offer his obsequious homage to the Sovereign, and to announce to him that he had offerwl the tavro- holium to Mithra a« a tribute of gratitude for his glorious victory of the morning. While the chiefs of the army gave themselves up to rejoicings and took part in the feast that had l)ecn pre- pared in the nmgnificont trif 'inium of Augustus, Con- stantine, fatigued, had retired alone to the imperial apart- ments, those that Maxentius had occupied that very morning. The glorious standards of his logionn ro|X)8ed, gathered in a sheaf, against the wall ot the hall, and formed a tro- phy that was crowned bj the lahnivm. The Kmpen»r in thought, went over the events of the last weeks ; his de- parture from CJaul, hij^ victorious march through Italy, the brilliant victory of the day ; , i and he became but the more convinced that he owed his success to divine inter- \ention, to Him whose sacred sign had led him to Rome t (J itself. Above his trophy of flags, on the laharum, shone the /; me of v iikist ; as it luul carricfl ruin an.l death into the enemy's camp, it now brought graces and favours to the soul of the Emperor. Constantine rose, fell on his knees before the cross and lifted his hands in gratitude towards the God of the Christians. After more than three hundred years of sanguinary and proud struggle by the sovereigns of the world against the name of Jebua Saviour, behold there was now an En)peror prostrate at the feet of the Crucified. At that hour, the gods of paganism, overturned from their thrones, descended to the bottom of the abyss ; a new epoch began in the history of the world. Constantino then felt an immense desire to give official THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 307 and solemn ox]»reMion to his rrligious fooIingH on tliat very day. Up to that moment, ChriHtianity had lived in the catat'omhs, in the dungeons, in the poorest hovels ; to Iionour it in its chief, he wished that the Poim' should re- ceive the palace of the CttHars as his residence. On OIK of the most lieautiful hills of the city, on the Mount Caelius, in the centre of the Kome i)f that period, opposite the Palatine and the Capitol, rose the palace of the Lateran which saw at its feet the Coliseum, steep His resolution taken, the hjaperor wrote the act of donation with tiis own liand ; he hatl hut just finished when Candidus was announced. He could not have ar- rived more opi^rtunely, for to him, mon; than to any other, belonged tlie honour of bearing such a mes.sage. Before di.sdosing his project to the hero of the labarum, Constantine nuule him tell how he had saved his mother and the other Cluistian prisoners. Candidus tohl him also (j1 Hufinus' trials, he depicted in warm colours the horror of the persecution to which he had been .subjected, Valeria's heroic devotion, the not less tieroic courage of the father and the daughter in confessing their faith, and he asked the Emperor to revoke the sentence which had despoiled them of their wealth and their palace. Constantine listened with a lively interest to the touching episode of Camlidus' providential arrival, and his snatching his mnthcr an;} the other Christians from 308 VALERIA beneath the executioner's sword ; but at the recital of Rufinus' suffering, he could not restrain liis indignation. " first " " My care, he cried, will be to repair the outrages and the horrible treatment inflicted on the f^-: / !->;ijri.4.rate of Rome, on t'-it man who is more upright nd loyal thai). all. Oh ! how long 1 to see again this deai ouipanion ii arms of my youth ! Tell him, Candidus, :.J-J- I the Emperor, " that I shall expect him to-morrow with his daughter of whom I have heard so much. Tell him also, that from this moment all his wealth is restored to him! He will not refuse, I hope, to resume his duties as Prefect of Rome, and to occupy under my nile, a charge he so worthily filled duripg the reign of Alaxentius. But of this, after considering, I shall tell him myself. Let huu come then to-morrow, with his noble daughter. I have, tribune, to entrust you with another business which I have very much at heart, it is sweet to me to make you the bearer of it. Go at once and find Miltiades ; give him this decree witten with -1 ' my own hand. It is an act by which ,9 I put him in possession, ad ceternum, him and his successors, of the palace of the Lateran which shall henceforth be the residence of the chief of the Christians. ,l,i May the Christ, wlio led me to Rome, to this impe- rial palace, deign to do me the favour and honour of ac- cepting this dwelling for His Vicar on earth, as a humble if token of my eternal gratitude. Tell the Pope also, that, not later than to morrow, I shall publish an edict, by which the churches and cemeteries confiscated under Diocletian, " shpM be given back to the Christians. The young warrior's eyes shone with joy ; how often, during the campaign through Italy, strange expectation had cast rays of light over his soul ; he foresaw a great revolution in earthly things, a consequence of Constanine's THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 309 conversion to Christianity, and behold, his dreams were being realized even beyond his hope ! Intense joy filled his soul. He bent one knee to the ground and received the paper the Emperor held out to him. " " May the Christ Himself be thy recompense, Cffsar, he cried, " I thank thee for making me thy messenger on this occasion. Joj gives me wings, I shall be with ^liltiades in a few minutes ; wilt thou permit me however to pass by the Lateran palace so as to announce to my mother, to Eufinus, to Valeria, such a glorious event ? " " " Veiy well , lODlicd Constfmtino smiling, I hope the " detour will not be too long. " I think it prudent, " replied the young warrior, " to " ask my mother whore Miltiados lives. " Go then, my faithful friend, " replicc' Constantino with great kin The Emperor then left the young tribune, who retired and hastened to deliver his precious message. His heart 310 VALERIA* overflowed with joy, he did not even perceive the wicked glance Gordianus cast at him as he passed through the antechamber ; and the jealous hatred of the priest of the idols but increased on learning that the imperial audience he solicited was postponed till the following day. At tL : ga,te of the palace, the young tribune met the Senator Anicius Paulinus who threw himself into his arms : " " " Candidus, he exclaimed, the great and good God of the Christians has granted my Jesire. I have found my children they ; already profess the faith of Christ. Hence- forth 1 shall " worship with them ; I also am a Chrisian. In his turn, Candidus quickly told the Senator of his own happiness and then hastened towards the Lateran palace. It was with lively, gratitude that Rufinus and Valeria heard of Constantine's intention of reappointing the Ex- Prefect to his former duties ; but theirs and Irene's happiness were greater still when they learned of Constan- tine's decree concerning the Lateran pal' '""v this royal gift, Constantine solemnly recognized ianity, so despised hitherto, and gave a signal prcui of his pious dispositions towards the Church of Christ. " " Ah ! cried Valeria, with shining eyes and cheeks flushed " with the fire of holy enthusiasm, it is now that the blood of the martyrs begins to germinate, and we may ab-eady promise ourselves an abundant harvest. Already, into the darkness of our catacombs, the rising sun begins i I:: to pene ate, the sun of the great day that God has made, the day of the resurrection. Dry thy tears, O Magdalen ! and with the Church, sing the eternal Alleluia, Christ has risen from the dead, Christ has vanquished." noble Candidus, hasten to go and announce to the THE conqueror's ENTRANCE 311 holy Pontiff and to the whole Church this glorious news. From what Mincius the fossoi told me, I think thou wilt find the Holy Father on the Flaminian way, at the cat- " acombs of Valentino. Candidus informed Irene, Rufinus and Valeria of the "^.mperor's gracious invitation, told them the hour for the audience at the Palatine, and then set off, passing by the imperial stables which stand to the south of the Palatine. He did not need to show the Emperor's signature in order to obtain a fleet horse. It was with great difficulry however, that he succeeded in passing through the streets, still illuminated and filled with joyous crowds, and only after he had pas.sed the Camp of Mars, in the streets leading to the Flnminian way, was ho able to put his horse to a gallop. While the night breezes caressed his cheek and he passed through the vast solitudes, the most fascinating dreams traversed his vivid young imagination. The campaign that had just end' 1 was a glorious one, he had found his gentle mother, he had liinisolf snatched her from death with a multitude of his brethren, Constantine had made him a Military tribune, his Christian soul had just expe- rienced the purest joy, he saw the Church and the cross triumph, what more could he desire ? Had ho not tasted of every happiness ? Had not a 11 the flowers of Hfe blossom- ed together for him ? But close beside the flowers that blossom, new buds open ; man is so constituted, that he is never satisfied, even in his most hol.y desires ; insatiable, he ever tends towards the infinite. And the heart of the young soldier entrusted to the stillness of the night a scarcely formed dream of the future. Suddenly however, Candidus' thoughts were attracted elsewhere ; in the deep silence, a mysterious chant, a pure, sweet melody fell on his ear and gently touched his mm^ " M 312 V\LERIA soul. it Was not the hymns and psalms of the Church ! Soon, he no longer doubted ; on the slope where the entrance to the cemetery of Saint Valentine is situated, a long procession was descending : men, women and child- ren, all carrying flambeaux. At the head of the cortege shone the monogram of Christ all brilliant with light. Candidus dismounted while the tears fell down his cheeks. — Led by Christ, his Lonl, the Church and the Pope emerged from the obscimty of the catacombs, and taking their way amidst songs of holy joy entered the capital of the world. Candidus awaited the cortege on the side of the way, he already distinguished the words of the cxiii psalm In cTitu Israel de Egypto, the psalm which celebrates the deliverance of Israel, their coming out of slaveiy and throwing off the yoke of Pharao. Ah ! how well suited to the Church were the words of the Psalmist on this day of graces ' " to Not us, Lord, not to us ; but to Thy name give glory. For thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake : lest the Gentiles should say : Where is thy God ? But our God is in heaven : He hath done all things whatsoever He would. The warrior, deeply moved, mingled his voice with those faitliful of the ; when the procession arrived near him, he made a sign for it to stop. Them, kneeling at the feet of Miltiades he presented the Emperor's despatch ; at the same time, he announced his message in a loud voice. Who can describe the joy of the Christians ? Their hands were raised to Heaven,their prayers thanked the goodness of the All-Powerful, they glorified the Christ, they broke out into cries of gratitude and with their songs THE conqueror's ENTRANCF 313 of gratitude to God, mingled a thousand blessings for the Emperor. The Sovereign Pontiff expressed his desire of going in person, on the morrow to thank Constantine, and C'ondidus offered to introduce him. He took leave of the Venerable Father and mounting his horse, turned towards the city; but many a time he stopped and turned round to look lovingly after the procession which slowly followed the Flaminian way. Arrived at the Camp of Mars, Candidus met a small group of persons canying a corpse to be buried ; two fossores with a litter on th.eir shouhlers, and two women slaves forme! the procession. The tired fosson.y put the litter on the ground, and Candidus' astonished gaze fell on a magnificent drapery which covered the sad reniains, thus poorly accompanied. " " Whom are you thus carrying to his last home ? asked the ' ibune. The two slaves wept, the fossores lifting the cloth of silk and gold, exposed the beautiful face of a woman^ already disfigured by the hoirors of death. " It is the Ex-Empress, Maxentius' wife, " they replied coldly " ; she poisoned herself and her slaves are going " to bury her near her son's tomb. The fossores took up their burden once more and started off so quickly that the two slaves followed with difficulty. " Ah ! " the nothingness of pagam'sm , muimured Can- didus, moved by the sad sight, and he continued his way towards the Palatine, where the Emperor's staff was quartered. Rome, worn out by the emotions and fetes of the day, was now silent and plunged in profound sleep ; in the Lateran palace only, two windows remained illuminated. 314 VALERIA How could Irene sleep en the evening of such a day. Her life, strewn all along with trials, sufferings poignant ; sacrifices, passe lightning ; but at its setting, it was gilded with the most l! ; beautiful rays of the sun. Filled with holy joy, the noble woman thanked heaven for all her past sufferings, for all her present happiness, and her heart placed in God's bosom a desire, a wish that would crown all these joys. Valeria was not asleep either ; she had opened the bulla that Irene had given her on the eve of martyrdom and charged her to give to Candidus ; in the succession of ji great events which had taken place, she had not thought of it. Should slie gi\^e it to Candidus or return it to Irene ? "I Valeria thouglit of her dear mother's relics that had been taken from her and which she had no hope of seeing again. " If I could at least, " she said, " share with Candidus, " this sponge, steeped in the blood of his martyred father. And it seemed to her. that from heaven above, Can.lidus and Sophronia smiled on her, blessed her. 1' m m CHAPTER XYI THE RECOMPENSE ^IThe numerous dead bodies that had been ingulfed ^*y in the Tiber, were thrown up on the banics during the night. Among these sad remains, the German soldiers soon recognized the bjdy of Maxentius by its ricli dr&ss ; covered with mud and debris, it was horrible to see. His hair red and beard were soiled with mud, his face still bore traces of rage, despair, and the terrible struggle that had raged within him during the barbarian's last moments, and his savage features retained the impress of indes- cribable fear. The soldiers flrew back in horror ; but the love of lucre prevailed, and they hastily despoiled the frightful corpse, sharing the gold and precious stones with which it was covered. Then, familiarizing themselves Avith the sight of the hideous head, they separated it from the body and carried it away on the point of a lance, which they planted in the ground on the sununit of a hill, consoling themselves with this shameful trophy for not having been able to take the tyrant before his death. The vagabonds and brigands who infested the outskirts of Rome at that time, disputed the rights of pillage ^vith the army, and all the corpses were despoiled, with only one exception. It was that of a man still young : he lay, covered with mud, among the reeds of a swamp. Beside him, a woman, somewhat advanced in age and who must have been beautiful, kept wateh and rushed 316 VALEUIA ru at the plunderers with the rage of a fury each time they attempted to approach. Her rich dress in disorder, her grey hair hanging loose and blown about by the wind, her haggard eyes, the hoarse cries that escaped from her heaving breast, gave her the appearance of a vision of hell. "Silence!... Silence!... the Emperor is sleeping over there, " she said, with pompous majesty, pointing to the dead body. " Do you know that my son vanquished Ccnstantine in a single combat ? At mid-day, the Emperor " Sabinus will make his triumphal entry into Rome. It was Sabina, who had become mad beside the crospe of Sabinus. While the unfortynate woman watched the dead body of her son anil protected it so desperately, Heraclius awaited, in the antechamber of the palace, the moment to present himself bexore his new master. From the eve, the Greek had passed hours of inde- scribable agitation ; the swarm of spies whom he kept in his pay, had abandoned him the moment they heard of Maxentius' death. The bark of fortune was sinking, and he saw with bitterness that ench one thought only of saving himself. On the eve, at nightfall, he had tried to flee secretly, when Sabina discovered his intentions and retained him bj^ main force. The fear that sli*' would make a noise obliged him to yield, and rhiring the long hours of a night filled with frightful anguish, he had asked himself 'ii i ^ what had become of Sabinus and what he was to do with his wnfe. In the morning, a slave informed him that his son's body had been thrown up on the bank of the river, with thousands of others that had been drowned. Sabina immediately went mad with grief and escaped from the house ; the Chancellor, too selfish to go in search of his wife, thought only of his own safety, but in the midst THE RECOMPENSE 317 of terrible incertitu(Je and fear There remained for him but to hang himself or win the good graces of the Emperor before he was unfavourably impressed against him, but how ? The unfortunate did not want to die, he trembled at the thougiit of death and his faith reawoke in adver- sity. Notwithstanding his immense repugnance and his fears, he went to the palace to see Constantino. It was necessary, at all costs, to gain the l^mperor's favour. Heraclius, consequentl.v , awaited, in the antechamljer, the opening of the ICmporor's apartnients ; he threw himself at Constantine's feet, and kissed his hands and feet, with servile respect, " The post I occupied under the usurper, " stammered the poor " Chancellor, might well di- me harm in the eyes of thy divinity, if I did not possess papers that will speak for me. They will help me to prove to thee that when, against my wish, I served the tjrant, I was entirely de- voted in heart to thy majesty. I hope then to obtain grace and pardon for the occasions on which I was forced to accomplish orders that my conscience held in horror. Thou shalt see by these papers, O Prince, that while feigning faithful devotion to Maxentius, I knew how to thwart treason and calumny, that I rendered conspirators powerless by intercepting the letters addressed to IVIaxen- " tius. While speaking the Greek liandetl to Constantine the letters that Goidianus had written to Rufus, The Emperor's brow darkened and he frowned sternly on reading the documents whose authenticity could not be questioned. This priest of the sun who, in the name of his false gods, had promised him victory, had at the same time plotted to ruin him and assisted the enemy to snatch to : I 318 VALERIA the victory from him ; this dark conspiracy merited for Gordiani's the infamous death of the traitor. Constantine asked himself, however, what impression such an arrest, issued during the first days of his arrival in Rome, would produce on the worshippers of the pagan divinities, so numerous in the city and in the ai-my. The accusation was a sufficiently disagreeable one, therefore for the Emperor to make, and the wily Greek, doubtless noticing this, hastened to add : " That is one of the smallest services which the most devoted of thy servants proposes to render thee. No one is better able than I to know the feelings of thy subjects, and I will make it an imperative duty to disclose to thy divinity the enemies thou nmjest count in the senate " among the officers, in fine, pmong the whole nobility. Constantine understood all the courtier's villiany, but he restrained his just anger. Heraclius therefore continued " Th government of a city, such as Rome, cannot dispense with a complete secret service of spies, the centre of which cannot be better placed than at the Chancellor's office, spreading out from there like an immense spider's web. Thus, without «nv diflficulty, all that pas.ses in the town can be brought ne ears of thy divinity, even the smallest remarks passed in the most private family circles." The thought alone of renewing the shameful system f)f espionage that had dishonoured the reign of Maxentius and led to exile, to ruin and to death so many illustrious Romans and noble women, was revolting to the high spirited, generous Cffsar. He recalled the infamous acts of which Rufinus and his dear ones had been the victims, but mastering his emotion, and looking sternly at Heraclius he said : " Since thou boldest all the strings of this powerful THE RECOMPKN8E 310 administration, acquaint me with wlmt litis Ihth litippcn- ing to the vmfoitunate Rufinus, the friend of my cliiltl- hood, so " unjustly removed from liis office l)y Maxentius. Heraclius Rr(>w pale, Init recovering himself inmiodiately said, with u hypocritical sigh : "Alas he ! was one of the nol)lest victims on whom Maxentius glutted his cruelty, he died of niisciy, hunger and had treatment, in the works of the hasilica. Ifis unhappy daughter had him buried on the Aj)pian way ; rarely has a more upright magistrate been I.rokt>n down and crushed l>y such " infamous proceeding , "But." replied (onstantine who witli difficulty re- straine Rufinus, were presented to iiini, I know it : an article even appeared in the Ada divrna on this subject. Thou who knewost the un:ler."(le of the cards, canst thou tell me the name of him who wrote those n)essages, trying to imitate my wr^'+ing ? Say, canst thou name him to me ? " continued v -iistantine, his eyes flasliing fire as if he would annihilate the courtier. " ("anst thou n..m(' me the infamous Clreek who threw the Prefec t of Home into the Mamertine pri.-on ? ^v hat ])rice was aske 320 VALERIA implored mercy, protesting that he Emporor'a feet ; he order of Maxen- had octed onlv in ol)edience and on the sipn from Constantine. the centurion on tius ; but, at'ft guard Imd already come forwanl. prison, " com- " Take this wretch to the Mamertine " the deepest manded the Kmperor, let him V)e cast into .lo not I hope, that the walls of Rome of the (hmgeons ; (I death as this enclose another creature as worthy ot •3 •'1 monster ! , • i *u speakmR when tne The I<:mperor had scarcely ceasetl The highest guards drapRed Hcraclius out of the palace. the antechamber, personages in Rome were crow.led in presenting his homage to each awaiting the honour of Grand Chancellor and the Emperor. All recognized the fate, but no one wjis at all moved; 3 =1 umlerstood what was his carried mournmg among had not his lists of proscription Roman families ? all the nobility, in all the prisoner, descended While a squad of soldiers leading the Can- led to the imperial apartments, tlie staircase which company with the Pope Mil- didus mounted the steps in Rufinus followed them ma tiacies, Irene and Valeria. tribune only saw Heraclms, but he covered 1 litter. The the Greek fell on Valeria, did not know him. The eyes of became ghastly. Terrifaed, and his face already so pale, his knees knocked against he looked at the young girl, have sunk down on the steps, each other, and he would had not pitilessly pushed hun forward. if one of the guards never seen the young girl Until then Heraclius had garments and plunged in except in her long mourning presented herself before profound sorrow. She had thus she had implored him when falling on her knees at his feet, to become the wife of the'ufe of Rufinus; accepting ii 11 hands she had kissed his ; Sabinus, to save her father, THE RKCOMPKNSE 321 thus also had she upju'iireil in the Konim, conjuriuK him to lighten the fate of the Kx-Frofc^t of the city, wiien he had repulsed her with such hitter words. To-day, on account of the cerenioninl of the court, Valeria was obliged to wear festive rok\s ; sin- wore the dalmatic and ample gannent of pale yellow silk ornMi icnt- ed with two broad bunds of purple embroidered iii «old (the distinctive mark of noble women) which fell from the shoulders down to the feet. Her fine silky hair gracefully framed her pure forehead, and W!iv(>d under her lonu white veil, bordered with i)urple and a gold fringe, leaving bare her neck ormmxented with a necklace of fine pearls. On her shouldc;.s and the edge of her dress were fastened rosettes called cnUicidcv, all embroidered with gold and pearls. A soft pink replaced, on her ci:eeks, the pallor they had worn, and divine love that had incrensed in sJifTering, gave to the girl's beauty an uidescrii)Hbly sweet heavenly charm that attracted all eyes. The crowd massed at the entrance to the pabce, w^atch- ing the visitors who i)re.sented tiiemselves at the imperial audience, asked themselves who this young patiician w!is, beautiful as a vision, and the Christians seeing her enter between Miltiades anrl the yoimg military tribune, .salut- ed in her the image of the Church, coming gloriously out of persecution. To the culpable Heraclius, maddene new lustre by a brilliant mounting ; to a rose, which when night passes, opens to the first rays of morning. Then the noble matron lifted her eyes, with indescribable joy to the face of her son Candidus, the handsome warrior, the brilliant tribune, dressed to-day in full uniform, and who also seemed to revive again, for his mother had only seen him covered with dust, broken with fatigue and emotion. Irene herself was enveloped from head to foot in the ' I long Stola Matronalis, the privilege of noble elderly ladies, and the rich palla which veiled her head, fell in large folds on the Stola. The ceremonial observed that day at the Palatine was that of the first ages of the Empire, perfected by Diocle- tian. The men clad in white togas, the official dress, awaited in the Vestilulvm of the palace, the time ol the audience, and liveried men in waiting introduced each one, according to his rank or office. Not only did Constantine not wish the visitors to kiss his hand, according to the custom introduced by Diocle- tian, but he remained standing instead of sitting en his throne to receive them. This was taking the proud Roman their nobles on weak side ; all were charmed by the ex- quisite politeness of the conqueror which contrasted so strongly with Maxentius' insulting coarseness and Diocle- IW tian's haughtiness. Rufinus scarcely had time to respond to the earnest cordiality with which the members of the Senate greeted him in the antechamber As soon as he was announced, the doors opened befr "m. On perceiving Irene beside Candidus, Constantine .int forward to meet her, congratu- li'.ted her on giving to the world such a brave wai-rior in whose heart, he said, nobleness, courage, ai^d generosity contended for the first place. THE RECOMPENSE 323 " The clanking of arms almost always stifles the divine voice in us, " " added the Emperor, and too otten the brass of the cuirass hardens the heart of the warrior. When Mars slackens his rein, hi's sons grow indolent and more than one hero has slipped on that fatal incline. It was not so with thy son, noble matron, war gives him back to thee to-day, rich in honour, victorious not only in the combat of arms, but also in all other contests ; no cloud can " therefore overshadow his mother's joy. The Emperor then seeing Miltiades, interrupted himself to salute the Sovereign Pontiff who thanked him, in the name of Holy Church, and promised the Emperor his fer- vent prayers for the happiness and prosperity of his reign. " Thou repayest an earthly gift with heavenly money, " replied the Emperor respectfully " ; it is the dearer to me, as I expect from God alone the stability and happiness " of my reign. Then Constantine saluted Rufinus with affectionate cordiality, reminding him of the days when they were companions in aims then ; making an allusion, slight but full of heart-felt sympathy to his sufferings, he asked him to again accept the office of Prcefeclus urhi. Valeria did not escape Constantine's notice and he understood that the outward charms with which heaven had gifted her were but a slight reflection of those which adorned her soul. Then pointing to the laharum which crowned the trophy of standards, he said to Candidus : " Thou didst bear this flag so gloriously, that it is my heart's desire to entrust to thee another treasure which is also very precious. Thou wilt guard it with aU the more jealous care as it does not belong to me and I have not 4 yet asked of him alone who can give it to me, the permis- " sion to dispose of it. " 324 VALERIA Then turning to Rufinus he said : " I ask the hand of thy daughter for the bravest of tri- bunes and the most faithful of hearts, and I know before- " hand that thou will not refuse me. On hearing these words, Candidus threw himself at the Emperor's feet, while Valeria, as was her habit in solemn moments, lifted her eyes to heaven and there sought, with unfaltering trust, the expected help, calm and smiling in her virginal beauty ; she more than ever, at that hour, appeared like a vision from on high. " Noble Emperor, " cried Rufinus, " thou crownest thy favors by thus realizing my dearest wishes. To what " nobler soul can I eritrust my only earthly treasure ? Irene folded in her arms the girl for whom she had long felt the love of a mother, and could only say : " May Jesus and the Virgin Mary be blessed a thou- sand times ! Constantine raised Candidus and led him towards his daughter's hand, placed it in ^i Valeria ; Rufinus, taking the warrior's, and Miltiades, pointing to the labarum on which shone the victorious sign, blessed in the sacred name of Christ and placed under His protecting care, the es- pousals of the two young people. " May your alliance, " he said, " symbolize the union of the Church and the state in these happy days, when our glorious Emperor opens a new era to the world, seek- ing under the protection of the Immaculate Spouse of Christ, the Salvation which his predecessors thought to find in persecuting her. Be blessed then, my children, and may the Christ shower on you this day His choicest " ifl gifts. And the holy old man's prayer went up to the throne THE RECOMPENSE 325 of God like the clouds of incense which rise from golden censers. All joyfully responded : Amen. That same day, the Pope took possession ot the Lateran Palace, and set apart the most beautiful of its halls as the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. Until theu, aq Church of Saint Pudentienne, daughter of the Senator Pudens, the same in v^hich Saint Peter gathered the people together, had been the Cathedral of the Popes, but henceforth the basilica of the Lateran would be the mother of the churches of the whole city and of the world. The Christians received with great joy the edict which restored to them their holy places, and the titular priests hastened to take possession of their respective churches. The ancient and venerable church ot Saint Clement had been converted into a temple ot the god Mithra, that of Saint Lucine into a menagerie, some others *.->to shops, and all the interior decorations had been completely de- stroyed ; ever> where there were only sad ruins, but the generosity and enthusiasm of the Christians were not to be discouraged, they spared no sacrifice to restore the temples of the Lord. Each time a church was restored to public worship after being repaired, it was a festive day for all. The joy of the Christians was still further increased by the great number of conversions consequent on the prodigies ob- tained through the labarum and Constantine's victory. The pagans, in a body, convinced of the vanity of the worship of idols, came to Miltiades solicit to baptism ; amongst them, in the first rank, were to be seen the Tribune Artemius, also the Senator Anicius Paulinus with his children. :P-^ 326 VALERIA On the day following the espousals, Candidus and Valeria might have been seen in a carriage on the Appian way, ac- companied by Rufinus and Irene. They were going towards the Cemetery of Saint CalLxtus, to pray and to lay their flowers and wreaths on the loved tombs of Sophronia and Candidus' sisters. From early dawn, the Appian way was traversed by numerous groups of Christians, for it was the feast of Pontianus, Pope and Martyr, of glorious memory, and every year on the 30th of October, even at the height of the persecutions, the faithful crowded to his tomb. The fossores had joyfully opened the great entrance closed for such a long while, and cleared the strairway leading to the vast * necropolis. All the way from the Appian way to the opening was strewn with flowers and leaves, the gate was decorated with drapery and branches, while garlands in festoons ran all around the walls of the ^ chapel in which burned hundreds of little lamps. During the morning, a storm of rain had laid the dust clouds, on the way and freshened all nature ; through the of most fantastic forms, the sun's rays pierced here and there, fringing them with gold and throwing them out with marvellous effect against the beautiful azure of the Italian sky. How many times, but a short while before, Valeria ' '^ passed over the Appian way utterly sick at heart. It was there that she had gone to bury her mother, to prepare 1. Then pope Pontianus succumbed to his sufferings on the 30th October, 236, in the mines of Sardinia to which he had been condemmed like a vile slave. His second successor, Fabianus, had his remains carried to Rome and placed them in the temple of the popes, in the catacombs of Saint Calixtus, the 13th of August, 237. The anniversary of his death was gradually forgotten throught he celebration of the anniversary of this translation. THE RECOMPENSE 327 the tomb for her father ; she had traversed it again only two days previously to say a last adieu to Irene. Rufinus now returned to Sophronia's Christian tomb a ; doubtless it was the prayer of that beloved wife united with that of his daughter, which had led him to the truth by the rough path of trial. Over the same Appian Way, the executioners had drag- ged Irene to the circus, that she might die there without seeing her beloved son, at the moment he was returning to Rome, after a long and cruel separation. In the midst of what poignant anguish, had not Candidus himself but lately urged forward his neighing charger over that road which had seemed to him interminable, when he thought he would arrive too late. Such were the thoughts that crowded through the minds of the Prefect, of Irene, and of their children. The father and the daughter felt the need of pouring out their hearts at the tomb where the remains of a beloved wife and mother reposed ! It seemed to them that there they would be nearer her glorified soul. Irene and Candidus also felt the desire to go and pray at the tomb of the two young virgins, to whom martyrdom had given such a certain and glorious victory. Tears filled the eyes of the two women at these sad thoughts of the past ; but heavenly smiles soon succeeded them, even as the sun's rays shine brightly after a storm. Nature had never appeared mors sweet to them, the leaves so green, the flowers so beautiful. The villas on the slopes of the Latium hills appeared like gems in their setting ; the pure balmy air of a warm autumn day brought to them a hundred sylvan perfumes, the bees hmnmed in concert with the beetles and flies, while a glorious rainbow formed in the vault of heaven, and framed the City of Rome in the 328 VALERIA envelop beautiful glow of its brilliant colore, seeming to it in peace and love. the After half an hour's drive, the carriage arrived at the Catacombs of Saint Calixtus, and led by Valeria, group descended to the under ground necropolis, carrying tapers, wreaths, and flowers. When they entered the cubiculum containing Sophronia's Valeria had tomb, near which, it will be remembered, had prepared one for her father with the inscription she could intended to place on it, the father and daughter did not restrain their emotion and wept. How much her they long to hear Sophronia's voice once more, to see indescribable sweetness mingled loved face ! However,, an from her with their regrets, and it seemed to them that with home of glory, she whom they wept for was present their souls. At that moment, Rufinus fully understood the meanmg when of the inscription he had engraven on his wife's tomb, he was not yet a Christian : " Sophronia dulcis, semper vives in Deo. Sweet Sophronia, " thou wilt live in God. the Then, he silently engraved a third inscription on marble : ' " Sophronia, vives felix cum tuis. Sophronia, mayest " thou live happy with thine own. tha Rufinus knew now the Christian truths, he knew those it death does not create an abyss between us and separates takes away from us, though in reality a thin veil us. in its Plunged in the fire of divine love, encompassed to her own, flames, was not Sophornia truly living nearer love ? did she not love them with a more ardent just Even at the present day, the three inscriptions TH1> RECOMPENSE 329 spoken of may be seen in the catacombs of Calixtus. They reveal the aspirations of a believing heart, an ardent loving soul, towards her who had preceded him in the heavenly home. When Irene and Valeria had finished decorating So- phronia's tomb, the pious group directed their steps towards that of the two young martyrs. They slept side by side, under the same stone, which did not even bear an inscription : Irene had had painted on it only the three children of Babylon in the furnace. While still a joutli. Candidus had left the paternal roof to follow the calling of arms. He now found hin'self with his mother beside the tomb of his sisters. Catulus' remains were still in the sand quarry, on the Latin way, awaiting the moment when his son should build a chapel into the centre of a catacomb that was to be known by his name to future generations : the Catacomb of Saint C atulus. Irene and Candidus laid their crowns and flowers on the stone beneath which reposed the gentle do-v es adorned with the lily of virginity and the pxuple of martyrdom. Candidus engraved on the marble the name of Christus, their spouse, and covered it with his kisses. Valeria then led the others to the tombs of those who had suffered most gloriously for Christ, then to the chapel where the popes had been buried from about a century before. They also visited the tomb of Saint Cecilia, the Church of the Catacombs of Saint Soteris, in the most an- cient part of the cemetery where Saint Lucine, the disciple of the apostles, reposed. It is there, that after fifteen hundred years, pilgrims still resort, although the bones of the martjTS were transferred long years ago to the chiu-ches in the city, and time as also the vandalism of men, have there committed ravages. VALERIA \Pl \i had burned The sarcophagus of stone, the lamps which paintings that orna- before the bodies of the martyrs, the were all intact. mented either the walls or the ceilings, Catacombs, the guest* During their pilgrimage through the groups of the faithful, of the Lateran palace met numerous places and sang hymns who taper in hands, visited the holy tombs, almost all whose melodv charmed the oar. The wreaths and fresh flowers, of which w -e decorated with took pleasure m revealed the pietv of the pilgrims who sepulchral stones that lighting lamps on the side of the were hollowed out to receive them. commenting Valeria proved an admirable cicerone, concerning the blessed on the smallest particularities underground cemeteries and their precious relics. in his garden, As a gardener, walking complacently opened bud, and gathers here a rare flower, there a half contains, a charming soon forms, with the best his garden explained here an bouquet of varied colors, so Valeria on a painting. inscription, there a symbol, further ornamented chapels, then She led the visitors to richly the bodies of stopped betore a polyandrium enclosing by wiH beasts or burned several martyrs who had died torn to floor, she led on red hot gridirons. Thus, from floor sacred necropolis where the them all over the vast and the resurrection. glorious remains cf so many awaited words that fell Rufinus listened with delight to the lips of the Catacombs, from his beloved daughter's ; childhood Candidus had retained but the souvenirs of his the mysterious and he admired, in turn, the richness of treasuries, and the jewels that Holy Church hides in her \ii and the quick in- profound piety, the sacred knowledge telligence of his fiancee. " supported by " Look, " said Valeria, at this chapel THE RECOMPENSE 331 columns, whose apsis is decorated with a rich painting, finished only during these last months. It is one of the most symbolical productions in our cemeteries. The Good Shepherd carrying his sheep, a figure ol Our I^ord Jesus bringing back on His shoulders, into the fold of the Church, lost humanity. The whole dear flock, with their heads turned towards Him, crowd around their Shepherd. The Apostles, meanwhile, traverse the deserts of the world, to offer to all people the waters of salvation which flow abundantly out of the living Rock, which Is the Christ. Some listen to the glorious news eagerly and are filled with compunction, others, on the contrary, turn away in proud disdain from the Shepherd and His messengers." " I am still but in the Vestibule of the Church, " said Rufinus joyfully, his eyes fixed on the picture, " and how beautiful is everything I see already ! What will it be then, when I shall be allowed to penetrate into the Sanc- " tuary ! He addressed question after question to his daughter and the light grew stronger in his soul. " Tell me, " he said again tD Valeria, " what signifies " the fish so often represented in the frescoes ? They had stopped before a painting representing a ^^''h swimming in wattr, and close by, a small basket containing bread and wine. When she prepared her father for Baptism in the Ma- mertine prison, Valeria did not tell him anything of the .Mystery of the Eucharist, taught to the catechumens only at the last moment, in those times of persecution. The young girl cast an anxious questioning look at Irene who smilingly encouraged her with a sign. Then she continued by to satisfy her father's holy and eager c»u^o&it/. . 332 VALERIA " often see engraved «' " she said, we On the tombstones, a^^^r^ Ichthus (fish) in whxch ou^ a fish or the worC "«'»^ of these words : J»^«u«f in faith saw the initials fish became a is thus that the &,n of God Saviour. It is why the n-e , and that ^;sterious ;len of the Lord to signify often seen on the tombs fish or its image is so the faith of J«b--Chhist, {hat he whTi^ts there died in hope of ^e-g savec by H. the Son of GoD,and in the re- added point ng to the deeming power. It is thus, "she out of which seems to rise hving Sure ''that this fish rising fn>mt^^^^ i^pi^sents to us the Son of God Se wLr, Splen- to eternal life, into the bitter waters ol suffering up before going up to Heaven^ dors of the Father. However, ood which offe« to us, in a marvellous He unites Himself whde appearance of bread and wme, to our senses only the is chang- of Jesus-Christ it through the all powerful words altogether food, heavenly and ^ into a supernatural "^ the veil of the august v";^ia stopped, not daring to lift meditation. Rufinus had fallen into deep Mvsterx- ; but continued, 'represents ^^ThS Uher picture, "he soon viands to the guests with the ba.i s of bread offered as bread with the fish are so to for Here the wine and the the^, if I well understood same ; but 8. . one and the . This supernatural food, a figure of tlje Christ. the fish is which you divir. nourishment with this heavenly and only to the senses has the lour^h youLlves, and which bread and wine. . ftDoearanoe of , , ^ lips the thought seem- words died on Rufinus' ; The into him, he dared not to put it ed to^ Wgh, too august for the heavenly -ile on her wo^. Valeria's sSning eyes, this excess ol the love ^tf open Ups, told him already of J» of a God. BWmBVSt THX! RECOMPENSE 333 " *' Ah, my child ! "cried Rufinus, beside himself. Ah, my child ! can the Eternal lower Himself thus to the level of His poor creature ? Can a worm of the earth receive his God without being annihilated by the weight of His Majesty, without being consumed by the flumes " of His splendor and of His glory ? Valeria replied : " Divine love which saved us on the cross, placed itself in the person of Jesus, with His arms extended between God and man ; it lowered the Infinite down to the dust of humanity, and lifted the Son of earth up to the throne " of God, up to His paternal heart. " And may I, "questioned Rufinus, " may I, after having so long served false gods and resisting grace, may I hope to be one day admitted to this heavenly banquet ? Oh, my child ! May I stretch out my hands to the Son of God, may my lips open to receive this Bread of Heaven ? May my heart countain Him? I am not worthy ! But I may at least adore Him under the form of bread. I shall be able to see how you, pure souls, you become absorbed in Him and He in you. Now I understand, " continued the prefect, " that the power of the emperors struck in vain against Christianity, I understand wfiy the martyrs went joyfully to meet death and how it is that they could gaze without growing pale on the instruments of torture, of " which the sight alone made me shudder. Irene and Candidus had followed this conversation with ever increasing emotion ; initiated since long years into the astonishing mysteres which throw even the .„iigels themselves into a stPte of stupor, they trembled with ad- miration and love in presence of Rufinus' rapturous trans- port, fathoming for the first time the marvels of divine tenderness. 334 VALERIA " could not " But tell me, continued Rufinus, who " bread and the take his eyes off the fresco, how do the i> jESUa-CuRisT, wine change into this heavenly food, into Ichthua ? Thou Son of God, our Saviour, the divine conjure thee, help dost hesitate, my daughter, ah ! 1 most august of me to penetrate still deeper into thiH " mysteries. emotion, " Father, " replied the girl trembling with " stop to recollect pardon me if my weakness makes me divine of myself to speak of so great a mystery, the most bread and the wine, all. One word, pronounced over the under the by mortal lips which have become all-powerful and chpnges breath oi God, does violence to the Eternal, celestial, the fruit death into life, the tfenestrial into the the veil of the of our earth into divin«> food, and under I is found on the i bread and of the wine. Our Ix)rd Je»U8 of GoP, before Altar. The Church stands before the Son trusting and ani- the Saviour, but with uplifted hands, " Take and mated with a lively faith in His words : " eat, this is my body. mystery, Rufinus, overpowered by the greatness of the strove in silence to support the weight. At last he cried : from " How pure and holy must your priests be, since born, how immac- their lips, so to say, the Son of God is entrusts Himself. ulate must be the hands to which He to give to the son How great is the love of the Eternal ^ r 5 such a power of the lowest dust, to the weakness of man, his lips suffices *o in himself that one single word from into change the nature of the bread, not only into a man, no, human an angel, but into the divine nature ! No so pro- intelligence can neither understand nor embrace " after a found, a marvel. My daughter, he continued, THE RECOMPENSK 336 " pauflo, what a sweet and heavenly recompense ! Can the sufferings I entlured and which have led me to the knowledge of the most ineffable prodigy of the divine goodness, have any proportion to th; happiness which " fills my soul at this hour? ' The veil must l)e lifted still further, "said Valeria, looking lovingly at her father. " Faith teaches us the not less august sequel of this ineffable mystery : The priest who stands at the divine table, at the altar, offei-s on that same altar an unblo(Mly sacrifice, the august Victim being CHmsi Himself. But to penetrate so many secret mysteries, it is necessary that you should first be in- structed in other truths and I fear thou art already very " tired to-day. " Can the body feel its weakness, " replied Rufinus, " when the soul rises above the eari' ' Do the chains of the condemned weigh heavy when ai heaven brightens his pri;son ? But thy father will obey tlu-e as the lamb does its gentle shepherdess, even if she makes it leave the sweet pastures of celestial transports for the dest^rts of this " world. Followed by Irene and Candidus, \'aleria led her father back to the entrance of the Catacjmbs ; the open pas- sage allowed the light of day to penetrate and invited the pilgrims to return to the garden. Leaning on Valeria, Rufinus painfully mounted the steep steps ; he looked at his daughter with a smile in which tenderness and gratitude were mingled with the sweetest joy. " When on the steep path which leads from error to truth, charity offers her arm to the traveller, " he said, " " by the grace of God he will arrive at the goal. At that time, as it often happens even in these days, a 336 VALERIA in exchange country lad offered to the tired passersby, sweetest gifts of autumn, for a small sum of money, the baskets artistical- and placed before them, in dainty rush apples, pears, peaches and ly decorated with green leaves, choosing magnificent bunches of red grapes. The seller to Valeria. the finest, eagerly offered them " immetUately remembered Oh ! " cried Valeria who juice of a grape with a seeing Sopluonia press out the of her death, " give strange presentiment, the very day sweet mother me those beautiful red grapes, it is my remember, " she said who sends them to me. Dost thou " them between her to her father, how she pressed ifingers?" < , , j " " Rufinus. deeply moved, The pulp is red, replied " the interior is white repeating Sophronia's words, but surrounds the hard transparent, and the sweet juice and " suffering. rough seeds. It is a true image of back to Ro; ae, While our four pUgrims were on their way squad of soldiers accom- on the Appian way, they met a was not Candidus panying a prisoner in chains. What Gordianus, the priest of the surprise when he recognized raised his head and Sun. At that same moment, the latter hatred when his eyes met his look was one of Satanic those of the tribune. grinding his " Cursed standard bearer, " he muttered " the Christ crowned with teeth, cursed worshipper of honor and the gifts of fortune." Constantme had com- For him, condemned to death, and he was about to muted his sentence into exile for life embark for a distant island. and Heracbus, The interview between Constantine mouth, the mentioned above, had passed from mouth to of the ren- pubUc conscience sanctioned the punishment THi: RECOMPENSE 337 egade, the traitor, the extortioner, the slanderer, and the homicide who had sent so many innocent ones to death; but on hearing the news, Rufinus was affected, and taking advantage of the liberty his office gave him, he hastened without delay to the palace, to ask Constantine to pardon the unfortunate, to spare him the horrors of the Mamer- tine prison and to commute his sentence to exile, as he had done for Gordianus. "I admire the magnanimity of thy soul," the Em- peror replied, "but I admire still more the Christain quickly religion which knows how to make men great so and attain the sublime heights of heroism. I can refuse thee nothing, noble friend, but I fear much that this ser- might pent, still nourished in the bosom of the empire, find a means of poisoning it with his venom. " to " Sire, " replied Rufinus, put it out of his power do any harm, transport him to some solitary island, where he can he shall not be able to harm any one, but where " end his days without suffering too much. " " I promise, " replied Constantine, for once again I " tell thee, I can refuse thee nothing. And with humid eyes, he led the prefect to the door. but when the messengers The Emperor kept his word ; descended into the dungeon where Heraclius was im- prisoned, they knocked up against a corpse that was sus- pended in the darkness. Carried away by despair, he had found a means of hanging himself with his garments, and also perhaps with the complicity of a guard, favored but lately by his sinful l)enefits. The traitor had completed his resemblance to Judas. But let us turn away our eyes from the frightful Mam- to ertine prison, from the sad sight it has just presented 22 338 VALERIA US, and let us hasten to regain the fresh air and the light of the sun. The news of Valeria's betrothal to Candidus was re- ceived with great joy by the friends of Rufinus and Irene. And numerous were the visitors who crowded on the 21st. of November, into theLateran basilica which had been decorated as for a feast. The highest personages of the Roman aristocracy met there. The Supreme Pontiff had just celebrated the Holy Mysteries, he approached the betrothed who were kneeling before the altar,, and before God and the noble assembly, he solemnly blessed their union. Constantine had promised to give a dowry to the daughter of his friend, the fiancee of his dear tribune : he did so with royal magnificence. Beautiful wedding gifts poured in from every side, but, although she was very grateful to the Emperor and all those who took so large a share in her happiness, Valeria's heart was lifted above the riches of this earth. In her eyes, the most precious jewel, the richest treasure, was the golden bulla enclosing the blood of the brave Catulus, of him whom she could hencefoi-th call her father. With most delicate attention, Irene had himg the relic around her beloved daughter's neck on the morning of the marriage. Rufinus and Valeria had certainly not forgotten Rustica and Mincius. He had but just entered his palace, when the prefect sent for his dear benefactors of the Trans- tevere, on whom he wished to shower benefits. But the fosaore and the yoimg woman refused every recompense with as much enP"gy as charming grace ; however they also wished to otter their hiraible present to the young couple, a poor present in truth, but one much appreciated, THE RECOMPENSE 339 for of all the gifts received, it was the most symbolical. It consisted of a crystal cup^, on which was roughly engraven the picture of the two young married people before the altar ; above their heads was placed the crown of victory with the inscription : " '^Vivatis in Deo. Live in God. {The end) 1. The Christians were accustomed to offer to the newly married crystal cups with golden stands, and the monogram of Christ placed above the heads of the couple. On the nuptial ring were engraven two fishes beside an anchor surmounted by a cross. This was the symbol of the marriage con- tracted in Cbbist. ' < • ' ^H^ 1 -I mmmm CONTENTS FORBWORO. Vn Chapteb I. — a Sign in the Heavens 1 11. — Faithful unto Death 10 III. — Threatening Clouds 45 rV. — In the Catacombs 00 V. — The Victory 80 VI. — In the Mamertine Prison Ill VII. — Pagan Friends 143 Vni. — The Prisoners 150 IX. — Saved 175 X. — Before the Gates 180 XI. — The Eve of the Battle 210 XII. — The New Balthasar 237 XIII. — TheBattle 268 XrV. — TheSaviour 267 XV. — The Conqueror's Entry 208 XVI. — The Recompense 315